THREE .MPPRTED PrtTPiDT.?'
JlNflNJ l^VtON SCiiE,
tHREE DEPARTED PATRIOTS
Sketches of
The Lives and Careers of
THE LfcTE
AN AN DA MOHUN BOSE,
BADRUDOIN TYABJI,
W. C. BONNERJE E,
WITH THEIR PORTRAITS'
COPIOUS EXTRACTS FROM THEIR SPEECHES
And With Appreciations .by
Hr. D. E. Wacha & The Hon. Mr. Gokhale.
Price As. Eight-
Tp subscribers of the " Indian Review" As. Four.
PUBLISHED BY
G. A. NA1ESAN & CO-, ESPLANADE,
" florae.
DADABHlAI NAOROJI.
A clear and concise account of bis life and carepr,. ant J
his lifelong work for the country both in India and in
England, together with a reprint of his Autobiography
The book also contains hie -views on Indian Poverty.
Taxation in India, an abstract of his evidence before the
Welby Commission and the Indian Currency Commission)
bis message to the last Congress at Benares, and the full
text of his maiden speech in the House of Commons^.
Contains also an Appendix containing appreciations of
Dadabhai Naoroji by the late Mr. Justice Ranade, the
Hon. Mr. Ookhale and others. Price As. 4. To purchasers
of this booklet will be given, at the reduced rate of
Rs. 2-8 only, DadaMrai's famous- work on "Poverty and
Un-British Rule in India." The price of the book to
others is Rs. Pour.
Poverty & Un-British Rule in India.
' By Dadabhai Naoroji. This is a compendium and
reprint of all that the author has uttered on this and
on kindred subjects during a lonf and busy life. It
contains also the author's speeches in the House of
Commons in 1894 and 1895 ; his contributions written
in 1895 to the Royal Commission on Indian Expenditure ;
a paper on the Simultaneous Examination Question;
his statements submitted to the Indian Currency Com-
mittee in 1898 ; selections from his addresses, and a paper
on the state and Government of India under its native
rulers. Price Rs. 4. To subscribers of the Indian
Review Rs. 3. If any subscriber purchases two copies
at a time, only Rs. 2-8 per copy. For four copies at a
time only Rs. 2 each.
G. A. NATESAN & CO., ESPLANADE, MADRAS.
PUBLISHERS' PREFACE.
•-♦-.
Cj[ PAItT from then- value as record* of notable
Jl Indians, it is hoped that those little bio-
graphies will serve a useful purpose at this
particular juncture in the history of the country.
The virtues that Messrs Tyabji, Bonnerjee, and
Bose had in common nvs just those that public
life at present needs most. They are just those
which it is necessary to infuse into the composi-
tion of the national character. They are just
those which education must seek in every .possible
way to develop in the young. They are just those
which the young must learn to fidinh'6 and to culti-
vate if they would be worthy sons of the soil,
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Ananda Mohan Bosk ... .. 1
The late Mr. Badkuddin Tyaisji ... 19
Womesh Chundeil Bonnerjee ... 36
ANANDA MOHUN BOSE
[All Kitflits KeBcrved.]
ANANDA MOHAN BOSE
A SKETCH OK HIS LIFE AND WORK.
4j V the three great Indians whose death at
nearly ttie siuit time has left the country
poorer and the Congress e;iuse sensibly
weaker, Ananda Mohan Bose had, perhaps,
the most striking characteristics. Pre-eminent
by pure intellect, he war, likewise pre-eminent by
those virtue*, which Hindus are proud to claim
as the distinctive features of their civilisation.
Perfect humility of henrt, devout pi'ayerfulness
undoubting reliance on God, and whole-souled
service that looks not too eagerly to the result
these are the marks of the truly religious spirit
everywhere, and they dwelt in Mi'. Bose as they
dwelt in few other public men. His speeches
contain more references than those of any other
patriot to Providence. Where others would
speak of the need of union and the utility of
sinking small differences, he preached the gospel
of love, — love of motherland and lovo of all her
'1 ANANDA MOHAN BOSB.
children. Patriotism was with him a, passion.
His address as President of the 14th Indian
^National Congress held in Madras brought tears
into many eyes. And his last public appear-
ance at the Federation Hall in Calcutta, when a
deep sense of wrong done to his people made
him quit his bed of illness to speak a word on
their behalf, — what can be more pathetic, more
impressive than that ? Even the famous ' dying
speech ' of Chatham does not touch our hearts
so nearly, tainted as it was by a desire for effect
which it would be a .sacrilege to suggest in the
case of Mr. Bose.
Career as Student.
A. M. Bose whs born in East Bengal in 184G.
From the beginning his acute intellect brought
him distinction above all his fellows. He secured
the first place in the Entrance Examination of
1862 when he was sixteen, and kept that place
in the higher examinations also. He was edu-
cated at the Calcutta Presidency College, where
he wits specially marked for his aptitude for
mathematics. The Principal, Mr. Sutcliffe, on
the occasion of a Viceregal visit, presented him
to the august visitor as a brilliant Tndian stu-
dent. Later, on his taking the M. A.
AXAXDA MOIIAX BOSE. 3
degree, he was complimented by Sir Henry
S. Maine, who, as Vice-Chancellor, declared, in
his. Convocation Address, that Mr. Bose's abili-
ties would have secured him high distinction in.
the Mathematical Tripos at Cambridge. On leav-
ing College, he competed for and won the Prem-
chand Roychand Scholarship of Rs;. 10,000. After
serving a short term a.s Professor of Mathematics
in the Engineering College, Mr. Bose proceeded
to England in the same ship with Babu Kesba.b
Chmider Sen. There he joined Christ's College,
Cambridge. During his three years' residence
in that University he devoted himself to a study
of the exact sciences, and his ability and charac-
ter were so marked that he was President of the
Cambridge Union for some time. His career was
crowned by his coming oat sixteenth Wrangler at
the Mathematical Tripos, — an achievement which,
being the first of its kind for an Indian, raised
the prestige of the whole nation and was regard-
ed as of happy augury for its future. A few
months afterwards Mr. Bose was called to the
Bar, and returned to India in 1874.
At the Bar,
Industrious and keen-witted, Mr. Bose might
have achieved a great distinction at the Calcutta
4 ANANDA MOHAN BOSK,
Bar, but, somehow, he turned his attention at the
commencement to mofussil practice. In this be
soon readier! a high degree of success and made
enough money to invest some of it in the Assam
Tea. Industry, On one occasion his defence speech
in a criminal case before the High Court Sessions
received a warm encomium from Mr. John I),
Bell, then standing Counsel in Calcutta, who
referred to it in a speech of Ins own at the
Trades' Dinner as the most splendid defence lie
had ever heard out of Westminster Hall.
Educational Activity.
Law and tea enterprise could not engross
Mr. Bose's energies. It would have been a wonder
if his mind had not been attracted to the prob-
lems of education. He was the beau ideal of
students, and in all that concerned them he took
a lively interest. In 1877 he was appointed
Fellow of the University, and next year, while
vet barely thirty -two, he was elected to lie
Syndic in the Faculty of Arts. He made a
large number of proposals for the improvement
of education generally, one of them being a
vigorous plea for the conversion of the Calcutta
University into a teaching University. In this,
of course, he did not succeed. But he succeeded
AX AND A MOHAN HOSE. 5
in getting the age-limit for Matriculation candi-
dates abolished, and in remodelling the Prem-
chand Roychand Scholarship Examination so
as to make it an incentive to future work, rather
than a reward for past labours. His position
among educationists was now so eminent and his
character was so high that Lord Ripon, it is said,
offered him the Presidentship of the famous
Education Commission of 1882. The honour
was declined by Mr. Pose, who saw that his
being a native would detract from the weight of
the Commission's recommendations. If the story
is true, it adds another claim to the long list of
ela.ims he has to the admiration and loving me-
mory of his countrymen. It must bring the
blush to the cheeks of those public men who
hanker after office, official favours, and official
decorations. Though he declined the President-
ship of the Commission, he cheerfully accepted
a seat on it, and we can guess, though we have
no means of knowing, how useful he must have
been to Sir W. Hunter and his other collea-
gues. Some time before this, t'.<»., in 1880, he
had started a school teaching up to the Entrance
Standard and manned it with able young men
from the University. On this institution, known
(> ASASDA MOTHAK BOSK,
as the City School, and located at first hi a
small building, he spent much of his anxious
thought. It provided better instruction and
more wholesome discipline than most other insti-
tutions, and so it vapidly grew into what is now
known ms the City College. By the year 1884,
that is to say, within four years of its starting,
it acquired a building of its own, which was
opened by Lord ltipon, To the catalogue of Mr.
Bose's educational services, already long, have
still to be added the watchful care and sacrifice
with which be kept up a school for girls, until the
Beth une College Committee amalgamated it with
their institution.
Other Activities,
In the political sphere and in the religious, Mr.
Bose was no less active. He was nominated, in
1886, to the Bengal Legislative Council by the
Government, and in 1895 he sat in the Council
for the second time ns the representative of the
Calcutta University. Of his labours there, which
were worthy of his great renown, we need only
mention two efforts which were specially bril-
liant. One was his speech supporting a proposal
to amend the Act of Incorporation of the Calcutta
University with a view to give it a teaching side ;
ANAXOA M0HAX BOSE, t
the other was his criticism of the Village
Chaukidari Bill. Besides this, he was a Munici-
pal Commissioner, and took a prominent part in
founding and -establishing on a firm basis the
National Indian Association, and the Indian
Association for the Cultivation of Science. Like
all emotional persons, Mr. Boss was intensely
religious. He became a follower of Keshab
Chander Sen and was a devoted adherent of his,
till the Kooch-Behnr marriage broke up the
Sa.maj ; and then Mr, Bose, with others, founded
the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj. His piety and uenl
were most unaffected, while his private life was
marked by firm friendships and the most
open-handed charity.
In England Again.
Towards the end of 1897, his health failing^
he was advised to try the waters of Germany.
After a short stay he felt sti'ong enough to go to
England, where he spent a few months. During
this period he placed his services at the disposal
of the British Committee of the Congress, and
addressed many public meetings, pleading for the
redress of India's wrongs. He did magnificent
wqrk on this occasion, but at great cost to his
health. On his return after an absence of nearly
8 ANANDA MOHAK BOSE.
twelve months his grateful countrymen paid him
the highest honour in their gift.
Congress President.
In 1898 he was chosen to preside over the 14th
Indian National Congress. The roll of Congress
Presidents has many illustrious names, hut Mr.
Bose's is not the lea.st illustrious among them.
He more than justified the choice of the Madras
public. His oration yields to none in its literary
polish, and as it was delivered in accents of
earnestness and faith, its eloquence had a telling
effect. Its recapitulation of Congress politics
we need not here reproduce. But Mr. Bose's
reference to Mr. Gladstone who had just died
must not be passed over. The departed states-
man's religious side appealed strongly to Mr.
Bose, and the tribute that he uttered came from
a full a.nd sympathetic heart. His appeal on
behalf of the Motherland was one of the most
stirring appeals that were made to the hearts of
Congressmen, and they must have been hard,
indeed, who did not feel as if they were
about to cry when the orator asked, " Shall
India, brother-delegates, bo a living or a dying
nation ? " We shall quote the brilliant peroration
here : —
ananda mohan hose. 9
The Mothebla;ij>.
TjadiesandGentlemen, - Jbegan with a reference to Mr.
Gladstone and 1 -will finish, too, with a reference to that
great man. It was a cold morning and closely muffled up
pale and ill, the great statesman was entering his carriage
at Bournemouth making the last journey of his life on his
way to Hawarden there to die. A crowd had assembled
at the station to bid him farewell, to ha.ye a last look at
the face not much longer destined for earth. Tn response
to their cheers and salutations, Mr. Gladstone uttered
these words — the last he uttered in public — he who had
so often held audiences of his countrymen spell-bound by
the magic, of his voice, " God bless you all, and this
plaee, and the land you love so well." The words were
few, and the reporters added the voice was low. But
there was in them, the last words of the parting
hero, a, pathos of farewell and of benediction, a deep
thrill as of another world, which produced an effect not
less, perhaps but more, than the great efforts of a hap-
pier time. And let us. too, following those simple words
of Mr. Gladstone, ask Clod that He may bless us all and
this dear land of ours. ])o you. do we, Brother-Dele-
gates, love that land, the land that gave us birth : the land
beloved of the gods, they say, in ages gone by, when the
world was young and darkness lay over many of its
peoples, the land where knowledge lighted her earliest
torch, the arts of life and civilization found their home
and philosophy pondered deep over the problems of life :
where Rishis sang those hymns to the Father in the Hhin-
ing Sky, the earliest of the Aryan world, which still live
and throb in our hearts, and the eyes of the Seer saw
10 AXANDA MCUI.AX BOSK.
visions of things not of this world : that land where after
ages the sundered streams of Aryan life unite once again
in tiie present day ? Thutlatid, Brother-Delegates, deser-
ves all our love. Love her the more, cling to her the closer
for her misfortunes of the past, of the shadows and the
clouds tlntt have hung over her in the times that have gone.
After centuries of darkness, the dawn of a better da.y has
now opened for her, and the golden light has already
begun to stream over her fair face. It depends on 'us.
Brothers and Sisters, Fellow-citizens of this ancient land,
it depends on us, on our sense of duty, on our spirit of
loving sacrifice and earnest effort, whether the streaks
of that light shall broaden and grow unto the lovely day.
At length has India awakened from the stupor of ages,
the fire of her intellect, of her heroism, of her piety,
dimmed but yet not wholly extinguished, and watting
but the breeze of manly effort and kindly help to burn
once again in the time to come, let us hope, with splen-
dour and lustre art of old.
Lord Salisbury spoke the other day of the living and
dying nations of the world. Shall India, Hrother-Dele-
gates.be allying nation, shall the glories that were hers re-
main for ever a memory of the past, or shall they once again
be realities in the time before us? On hk, JJrotiier-De-
legates. depends the answer, on our efforts, on the lives
we live and the sacrifices we make, not in the political
field alone but in many another Held ; and let us not for-
get that never was progress won without sacrifice, And
in that effort, depend upon it, we shall get, as indeed we
claim, the loving help and tbe ardent sympathy of the
ANAXDA MOHAN BOSK. 11
great Nation into whoso hands Providence Ua<l entrusted
the destinies of this land,
The German host marched to its triumph to the cry of
" trod and Fatherland." Let ours be a still dearer cry,
the cry of " God and Motherland." as our mission also is
the holier and nobler enterprise of peace, of love, of loyal
progress, of every duty to our Beloved Sovereign faith-
fully discharged, of individual growth and national re-
generation. Hear we, my friends, the trumpet-call of
duty resounding to us amid the stirring scenes, the mov-
ing enthusiasm, the thrilling sights of this great gather-
ing ? Yes, the call sounds clear, but let our hearts gather
the strength to respond to that cull, and to be true to her,
our Common Mother, the land of our birth, to be true and
faithful to the light that is within us, and to every noble
impulse that stirs within us. And may we, as we return
to our homes, to the spheres of our daily duty, carry a
little more of the living love to our country than when we
came, a little more of the earnest longing to be good and
true and useful before the day closeth and our life's
work is done.
One other [>:isssigi\ containing », personal
reminiscence, must be quoted also. After speak-
ing of the detention of the Katu brothers;,
Mr. Bose proceeded : —
At the conclusion of a meeting, 1 think it was at Old-
ham, in which '[ had taken part, several of the audience
came up to speak to me ; and I happened to mention that,
should it please the Government so to act, which I
trusted it would not, there was nothing to prevent their
12 ANANDA MOHAN HOSE.
dealing with me on my return to India as they had dealt
with the Natus. 1 shall not easily forget the scene that
followed. One of my hearers, a working-man, I believe,
with indignation and excitement depicted on his face,
told mo "We know you, Sir. Should the Ci overnment
treat you in this way, Lancashire men will know the
reason why." I am sorry to say, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I forgot to ask his name or to note down his address.
Hut as I told him, I trust his interference on my behalf
will not be needed.
For an adequate illustration, however, of Mr.
Hose's style of oratory, one must read his eon-
eluding speech to the Madras Congress, It was
ex tempore and abounded in that sort of diction
that the highest pulpit oratory affects. It is in
one key of exalted feeling. It is too long to
quote here, and no extract will do it justice.
Last Service.
His health broke down after this effort, and he
practically retired from public life. But there
was to be another occasion for his service. From
what he himself described sis his last bed of
illness he was borne on a litter to lay the foun-
dation-stone of the Federation Hall which was
intended to mark the determination of the
Bengalee nation to remain united, notwithstand-
ing the late Viceroy's attempt to split them
ANANDA MOHAN BOSK. 13
asunder. He was not able to stand or rend the
whole of his address. But his presence must
have been inspiring ; the spectacle of nn old and
tried friend of the people conveying his last
message in a, priceless memory which the
Bengalees ought to cherish as their dearest
possession.
Few passage* in the whole range of patriotic
literature can rival his speech on this occasion in
power or beauty. We are suve none of our read-
ers would grudge it if we reproduced it here
entire ; but we must resist the temptation, and
give only parts of this gem of Indian eloquence :
Tt is. indeed, a day of mourning to us, when the
province has been sundered by official fiat, and the glad-
some spirit of union and of community of interest which
had been growing stronger day by day, runs the danger
of being wrecked and destroyed and many other evils
into which this is not the occasion to enter are likely
to follow in its wake. And yet in the dispensation of
Providence, not unoften out of evil eometh good: and the
dark and threatening cloud before us is so fringed with
beauteous gold and brightening beams, and so fraught
with the prospect of a newer and ft stronger national
union, that wo may look upon it almost as a day of
rejoicing. Yes, as our glorious poet has sung in one of
his many noble and inspiring utterances " Mora Gangee-
Ban Ashe-chse " the dead, currentless and swampy
] i ANANPA MOHAN BOSK.
river has felt the full force and fury of the flood rttid
is swelling in its depths- Have we not alt heard the boom-
ing of that national call uiul its solemn summons to our
hearth ? Let our souls mount forth in gladness to the
throne of the Most High, at this sacred natal hour of tho
new and united Bengali nation ; let us hear in mind, as u
writer in the Pairiktt, has said , tlr.it from dark clouds des-
cend life-giving showers, and from parted furrows spring
up the life-sustaining golden grain, that in bitter biting
winter is laid the germ of the glorious spring. I belong
to the sundered province of East Hengal and vet. my
brethren, never did my heart cling more dearly to you or
your hearts cherish us more lovingly than at the present
moment and for all the future that lies before us. •' The
official " separation has drawn us, indeed, far closer to-
gether, and made us stronger in united brotherhood.
Hindu, Mussalman and Christian, North. East and West
with the resounding sea beneath, all belong to one in-
divisible Bengal : say again, my friends, from the
depth of your hearts, to one indivisible Bengal, the
common, the beloved, the ever-cherished Motherland
of us all. In spite of every other separation of
creed, this creed for the common Motherland will
bring us nearer heart to heart and brother to bro-
ther. And this Federation Hall, the foundation-stone
of which is being laid to-day, not only on this spot of
land, but on our moistened tearful hearts is the em-
bodiment and visible symbol of this spirit of union the
memorial to future generations yet unborn of this un-
happy day and of the unhappy policy which has at-
tempted to separate ub into two parts. It will, 1 trust,
AKANDA MOHAN BOSE, ]5
be a place t'ov all our national gatherings ; in its rooms
will beheld social reunions smd meetings for different
purposes. * * * *
For they, indeed, fatally misapprehend this movement,
who imagine thiit it is the student community or any
othersingle section or two in the province that has caused
this upheaval. I thank yon all for the ardour, devotion,
and spirit of* sacrifice winch have, so far distinguished
your efforts. I have heard of people and even of respec-
table journals which speak glibly of the lawlessness and
disobedience to authority of our student community. Let
tuc hear testimony— and this I can do from personal
knowledge— us to what is thus described as lawlessness
and disobedience on the part of students of British
Universities, whom our students would not even dream
of approaching in this respect- But I will not pause to
give examples, numerous and glaring as they are, hut won-
der whether our rulers and our critics most of whom, I
presume, have passed through the universities of their
country, hare so completely forgotten the experience of
our student days. Why, our students are absolutely
spotless, in comparison with Uritish youths, as indeed,
I believe, they are spotless, not as a matter of comparison
only but by themselves. Let us. my friends, continue
in the same career, regardless of our own personal in-
terest and all individual and sectional jealousies, if such
indeed there be. For if the true spirit of loving sa-
crifice and nothing of a baser admixture he ours, surely
God will provide for us, and for you my student
friends, and grant us true happiness and the true
16 ANAXDA MOHAX DOSE,
blessing— how great only those who have tasted it tar*
say — of a self -eon scerated existence.
*****
One ha.s heard of different orders in this country for
religious and philanthropic service, of vows of self-
sacrificing devotion carried to life's last day. Kilter you,
my friends, into what I might call the order of the Mother-
land or of Bangabhumi, and with characters unstained,
■liins that are placed high and spirits that are pure and
noble itnd absolutely self-forgetful, serve the laud and
suiter for the land of your birth. Hindus and Mussul-
mans, let us in the name of (Jod all unite in thia sacred
crusade for the welfare and prosperity of our common
mother. We have come, most of us, hare of foot and in
garbs of mourning to the site of our future shrine.
Silent are the busy marts of men itnd silent is the roar of
trade. Throughout the town and its .suburbs Hindus.
Mussalmans and Marwaris are closing all shops, in fact,
except the small fraction owned by Englishmen. We are
present in tens of thousands here and millions through-
out the province, I believe, are fasting to-day and no
tires shall be kindled in our hearths. Hut let the
Are burn in our hearts, purify us and kindle an enthusi-
asm which shall be all the brighter and all the warmer
for the quenched tire in our homes.
And now, farewell, my friends with these, which nui>
perchance be the last words which I shall utter to you
on this side of Eternity. Farewell ou this day of
fraternal union when the bond of Rakhi is tied in our
arms. Much that comes pouring into my heart must remain
unsaid. Ours is not the Land of the Uising Sun, for to
AKANUA MOHAN 110SK, 17
Japan, victorious, self-sacrificing and magnanimous
belongs that title, but may I not say that ours is the land
where the sun is rising again, where after ages of dark-
ness and gloom with the help, let me gratefully acknow-
ledge, of England and English culture, the glowing light
is bursting once again over the face of the land. Let
ns all piay that the graoe of ( i o<l may bless our course,
direct our steps and steel our hearts. Let action and
not ivovils be our motto and inspiring guide. And then
shall my dream be realised of a beauteous and blessed
land by nature and tilled by men true and manly, and
heroic in every good cause true children of the Mother-
land. Lotus see in our heart of hearts the Heavens
opening and the angels descending. In ancient books
the gods are described as showoring flowers and garlands
on the suene of a notable battle. See we not, my
friends, those flowers dropped to-day from the self-same
hands, welcoming us to the new battle, not of blood but of
manly and stern resolve in the country's cause?
And Thou, Oh ( rod ! of this ancient hind, the pro-
tector and saviour of Aryavnrtta, and the merciful
father of us all, by whatever name we call upon Thee
be with us on this day : and as a father gathereth his
children under his arms, do thou gather us under thy
protecting and sanctifying care.
Conclusion".
Death was close at hand. A life of sixty years
cannot in India be called short, and when it Las
been marked by so many honours and so many
useful services, it may even be called long and
2
18 ANANDA MOHAN BOSE.
full. Mr. Sureiuirath Nath BannerjeG .summed
up his life truly win n he said : " There is lying
on the litter the earthly remains of one of the
greatest, noblest, and purest of the mortals."
Mr, Bose used his rich gifts of head and heart
in the furtherance of unselfish causes and for-
th e advancement of his country. He lived a life
•of piety, charity, anil nohle endeavour. He died
honoured and mourned by a whole nation.
Judged bv his achievements, Ml 1 . .Boss's career
will not, perhaps, rank with the highest. Born to
be eminent in anything he undertook, Mr. Bose,
however, did not reach the first place in any
field. His services were great in education, in
politics, in religion. But everywhere he fell just
short of the highest. That is the penalty of being
many-sided. None but the most gifted mortals can
veach pre-eminence in many fields of activity. But
to Mr. Bose belongs the glory of having performed
everything that he undertook, and he undertook
a great many things, in the true spirit of un-
selfish patriotism, Tf the spirit be everything
and the actual result immaterial, then Mr, Bose
is entitled to the highest honour.".
,-♦-,
BUDRUODtN TVASJI.
[All Bights Hejerreri.l
THE LATE MR BADRUDDIff TYiUI.
Boyhood and Education - .
|^ R. Tyabji was born on tlie 8th October
1844. His father was a wealthy Arab
merchant settled in Bombay. Tyabji
Bhai Miytin Sahib, who dealt extensively
with foreign countries, was a very enligtiteiie.il
Muhammadan and resolved to send all his sons
to England for education. The subject, of out
sketch was the youngest, the two others bein<r
Shujauddin and Camruddin. Shujauddin took
charge of his father's business. Camruddin, at
the end of his training in England, was enrolled
as a Solicitor of tiie Bombay High Court and
became successful in his line. Like his brothers,
Badruddin learned Urdu and Persian at Dada
Makhra's Madrassa and subsequently joined the
Elphinstone Institution. After a. few years there
he had to be sent to France for treatment of the
eye. On being cured he went to London and
joined the Newbury High Park College in his
16th year. He matriculated at London Univer-
20 THE LATE MR. RADRUDDIS TYABJI.
wity und entered upon higher studies, but these
were interrupted by i]l-hen.lt.h, in consequence of
which he returned to India for a time. Even
after recovery, he was pronounced unequal to
the .strain of University studies, so tiisit, in the
end, he became a law student at the Middle
Temple and in April 1867 was called to
the Bar.
At tub Bar.
In November of the same year be set up prac-
tice .at the Bombay High Court, being the first
native barrister of the place as his brother bad
been the first native solicitor. His initial diffi-
culties must have been great, but they yielded
to his ability and industry, backed as these were
by the powerful help of his brother. Fluency ot
speech, choice though somewhat diffuse diction,
lucidity of exposition, skill in crows-examining,
above all, a perfectly dignified and earnest bear-'
nig are qualities which would have ensured .suc-
cess in any case : but when they were combined,
as in Mr. Bftdruddin's c;i.se, with high character,
sweet manners, and single-minded application,
they soon raised him to the front rank in his
profession. Two anecdotes deserve to be remen>
bered. A. criminal case before Mr. Justice Wes-
THE LATE ME. BADR1JDDIX TYABJI, 21
tropp had ended, thanks to Mr. Tyabji 's defence,
in acquittal, but the Bombay Gazette characterised
it in its legal columns as rigmarole and nonsensi-
cal. Next day as soon as Court begun the judge
said to Mr, Tyabji :
Mr, Tyabji, I am glad to see you here, and also the
reporter of the Bombay 0'ctzctle, as I wish to make
some observations upon the report of the case which
was concluded yesterday. ITie paper represents you to
have made ' a rigmarole und n nonsensical speech ' in
defence of your client. As these remarks are not only
unfair but likely to do harm to a young barrister. 1
deem it my duty to observe thdt, in my Opinion, there
is not the slightest foundation for those remarks, !
consider the ease was most ably conducted bv you. and
that the acquittal of the prisoner was mainly due to the
ability und skill with which yon addressed the jury.
The other anecdote illustrates the strength of
the man, the quality that has been generally
acknowledged as elinrneteri^tie of him both :iw
barrister and as judge. We take it from an
appreciation that appeared in the Jiengalee.
It is some years since he appeared h.s counsel for an
accused person in a criminal appeal before a Division
Bench consisting of Mr. Justice Parsons and Mr. Justice
Ranade, The ease had excited some sensation at the time
and it was during the hot days of May that the two
judges sat to he;ir the aupeal. Mr. Tyabji began his
argument with some prefatory remarks giving a general
22 TUB LATE Mil. BADRUDDIN TYABJI.
vk'w of the ease, and that occupied about half an hour.
He then commenced reading the evidence. He had not
gout! on for more than ten minutes when Ml'. Justice
Parsons, who always liked a short argument, said : — 'We
have read the evidence, Mr. Tyabji. ' Mr. Tyabji met the
remark with a cool 1 Yes 'and went on reading the depo-
sition all the same. Mr. Justice Parsons : — 'What is the
use of reading the depositions and wasting the time
of the Court when we have read them all ? Better confine
yourself to such comments as you may have to make on
the evidence," Mr. Tyabji : 1 dare say, my fjord, your
Lordships have read the evidence but you have read it in
youv own way, I am here to make your Lordships read
the evidence in my way and it is only then that you can
follow my comments.' And Mr. Tyabji had it his own
way. For two days he kept the Court occupied hearing
his arguments, with the result that at last he secured an
acquittal for his client, and the remark went round the
liar that Mr. Tyabji had given a good lesson on patience
to the Bench.
Public Work.
For ten years and more lie allowed nothing to
distract him from the pursuit of law, putting away
the frequent solicitations of Messrs. Mehta,
Telang, and Ranade with " That sort of thing is
not in my line." It was in 1879 that he defi-
nitely joined that illustrious band of patriots which
was Bombay's unique boast. To that band lie re-
mained attached to the end. Hismaiden speech was
THE IjATE MK. BADKVDDIN I'VABJI. 23
against, the abolition of import duties on cotton
goods and brought him great applause. From
this time he was in great, request at every public
meeting, and from the numerous speeches that he
made, we may select for special mention those on
the Indian Civil Service question, the Ilbert Bill
and Lord Bipon, The Local Self-Government
measure of Lord Ripon was to be carried into
effect in Bombay in 1882. and Sir James Fergusson,
the then Governor, nominated Jir. Tyabji to
the Legislative Council. His work in connec-
tion with the Municipal and Local Board Bills was
highly commended at the time and the Governor
pud him the compliment °f saying that he would
have been listened to with rapt attention even in
the House of Commons. Close reasoning, clear
statement, and studied moderation, then as ever,
distinguished his speeches. He .shares with such
men as Messrs. Hume, Bonnerjee, Naoroji, and
others the i-aie privilege of having assisted at the
birth of the Indian National Congress which met
for the first time at Bombay in December 1P85.
Calcutta, had its torn in 1886, and when next
year Madras had to welcome the delegates, the
unanimous choice of the country for the place of
President fell on Mr. Badruddin Tyabji.
24 THE LATE ME. BADItUDDIX TYABJI.
CONGRESS PRESIDENT, 1887.
Never was choice better justified. Three
speeches stand out in the memory as giving that
session of the I. X. C. its peculiar glory. Rajah
Sir T. Madhava Rao's address of welcome was
touched in diction which suggested the cunning
of the Taj Mahal chisellers, and which an An^lo-
Indian journal, broad-minded and generous in
those happy days, declared was " such as few
persons in the continent of .Europe ever speak ".
For pure dash, and brilliancy nothing in the whole
range of Congress oratory can equal the short
speech by which Mr. Surendra Natli Bannerjee
carried the Arms Act Resolution in the teeth
of the opposition of such leaders as Messrs, Hume
and Chandavurkar. Inferior to neither in weight
or impress! veness, but superior to both in dig-
nity and grace of delivery, was Mr. Tyabji's
Presidential address. The present writer still
cherishes as one of his most precious intellectual
possessions the memory of the scene where, as a
mere stripling, he stood behind a vast crowd,
drinking in with rapture every word as it reached
him, clear and apt, none so apt, he thought, and
catching now and then a glimpse of the handsome
countenance which beamed with earnestness, good
THE LATE" MR. HADItUDDIN TYAHJT. 25
humour, mid perfect self-possession. He began
by saying that, lie had accepted the office of Presi-
dent in spite of ill-health, not .so much because
it was the highest honour that the people could
confer 'on an Indian, »n because he was anxious to
demonstrate in hi.s capacity as a representative
of the Airjuinan-i-islam, of lionibuy, that there
was nothing in the aims and methods of the
Indian National Oongress which could justify
his eo- religionists in keeping aloof from it. He
then went on to imprest on his audience the
need (or moderation, caution, and forbearance,- -
a need always present, but at that time of the
infancy of the Congress most imperative.
Though I maintain that the educated natives as a
elass are loyal to the backbone. I must admit that some
of our countrymen are not always guarded, or cautious,
iu the language they employ. 1 admit that some of
them sometimes afford openings for hostile criticism ;
and I myself have observed in some native newspapers
and in speeches, sentiments and expressions which are
calculated to lead one to conclusions which are not
intended. They have not wholly realised the distinc-
tion between ; " license" and "liberty" and have not
wholly grasped the fact that " freedom has its respon-
sibilities no less than its privileges." 1 trust that not
only in the debates of this Congress, but on all occa-
sions, my countrymen will bear in mind, and impress
26 THE LATE MB. DADlli;i>J>lK TVABJI.
on all, that in order to enjoy the right* of public dis-
cussion, liberty of speech, and liberty oF the press, we
must so conduct ourselves as to demonstrate by our
conduct, moderation and justness of criticism, that
we frilly deserve the great blessings which an en-
lightened Government can confer on its subjects.
Now, it has been sometimes urged that Europeans
do not fully sympathise with the just aspirations of
the natives of India. Tu the first place, this is noi>
universally true, for [ have the good fortune to know
many Europeans, titan whom no truer and firmer
friends of India breathe on the face of the earth. And,
in the second place, we must he prepared to make
considerable allowances for them, for their position
hero in surrounded by difficult questions, not only of
tt political, but of a social character, which tend to
keep the two communities! a^undor, in spite of the
best efforts of the leaders of the Eiu-opeaus, no less than
the leaders of the natives. . ,
Be moderate in your demands, just in your criti-
cism, correct in your facts, and logical in your con-
clusions, and I feel assured that any proposals we
limy make "will be received with that benign conside-
ration which is characteristic of a strong end enlight-
ened (lovermnont.
High (Jociit Ji.-dgk.
Tti 1895. lie accepted m phice on the High
Court bench, — a promotion vlncl), on n. former
Occasion, ill-health had compelled him to decline.
As Judge ho maintained his reputation for
THE LATE MR. BADRUDDIiV TtABJI. At
strength, judicial temper, and unfailing courtesy
to the Bar. He cared more for equity and sub-
stantial justice than for legal abstractions so dear
to the heart of those lawyers who are ambitious
to be known as jurists. Once, indeed, he is said to
have declared : " These law reports are becoming
a, cumbrous affair, and I .sometimes wish we could
manage to get on without them."
Women's Education and Freedom.
Perhaps, Mr. Tyabji's most solid work was done
in connection with the Anjuman-i-Islam, of which
he wns At first Secretary and for some years be-
fore his doiith President. lie held advanced views
in regard to the condition of the women of
his community and strove hard to weaken the
power of the zenana system. Unlike many
reformers who show their vehemence only in the
denunciation of others, Mr. T3'abji, cautious as
he was by nature, acted on his convictions in his
own family circle. His daughters have come
out of the purdah and received their education
in England. Indeed, the Mubammadans of
Bombay owe much of their present prestige and
enlightenment as a community to his watchful
and unremitting labours on their behalf.
28 THE LATE MR. BADKUDMN TYABJ1.
President of the M.A.O.B. Confekence.
When he presided in 1903 over the Mnham-
madan Educational Conference held at Bombay,
he made a powerful plea for the abandonment of
the purdah system and for a liberal education
for the women of his community. But the part
of his address that will be most remembered by
his countrymen is the one in which he declared
his .adhesion to the principles of the Indian
National Congress,-— a declaration which derives
additional force from the circumstance that among
his hearers on the occasion wa.s the Governor of
Bombay, One cannot help ;'.mtrasting with it
the miserable tone of apology that, other Congress-
men assume both when they are in the running
fov Government favours) and long after they ha.ve
secured them.
Gentlemen, you are no doubt aware that, although
the Conference has been in existence for several yews
past, 1 have not hitherto been able to take an active
part in its deliberations. No doubt, there have been
many reasons for this, to which it is unnecessiuv to re-
fer. But there i-s one in regard to which I must say a
few words. You are no doubtaware that I have always
been a supporter of the Indian National Congress. In my
younger and freer days, when I was not trammelled with
the responsibilities imposed by my present office, sind
THE LATH MB.. BADRUDDIN TIABJI. 29
when I ivns, therefore, able to tnke a more active part in
public life, and estpooiallv in the polities of the Umpire,
I deemed it my duty to support the Congress, and. as you
may perhaps know, [had the honor of presiding at the
Congress held in Madras some years ago. On that occa-
sion I described my election us the highest honor that
could be paid to any Indian gentleman by his fellow-
subjects of the Empire, tlehig of that opinion at that
time and being still of that opinion now, you will readily
understand that it was not possible for me to take any
part i n connection with any institution which had or
could be supposed to have the slightest trace of being
hostile or antagonistic to the Congress.
This must lie hard food to swallow for those who
are endeavouring now to represent the recent Mu-
hanmiadan deputation to the Vicei-oy as being anti-
Oongi-ess im(\ nnti-Himlu, and on that account enti-
tled to the sympathy and countenance of Government.
Last Days is England.
In the beginning of this year he went to Eng-
land for a cure of his eyesight which had begun to
give serious trouble. He progressed remarkably
well and felt strong enough to make long motor
tours. He was even present at two great meetings
and spoke with his usual candour and vigour. His
theme at a meeting of the East India Association
in March was moderation and courtesy in politics
and progress and enlightenment at home.
30 THE LATE ME. KADRU1JDTN TYABJI.
Although I have oftentimes in former days criticised
the acts of Government, I would ask my young friends
to remember whether they have not very much to be
grateful for, although they have no doubt also many
causes to complain ; but. in looking at the. acts of
Government, it does not do either for young India, or,
for the matter of that, middle-aged India, or old India.
always to fix its eyes upon the faults of the Govern-
ment, and entirely to forget those blessings which we
enjoy under the iegis of the British Government. 1
have generally found that, when any matter of public
interest is brought forward before the authorities, if
the memorials are couched in decent and respectful
and proper language, they have always been listened to.
and J have never yet had any cause of complaint with
reference to the reception of any of these memorials
and addresses that have been sent up from responsible
parties ; but when people, instead of pressing their
requests in proper language, use language which goes
beyond the bounds of mere decency, I think one cannot
be surprised it oftentimes the replies which they get from
responsible authorities are couched in language which,
perhaps, is not so pleasant to listen to. But, then. Gov-
ernments, after all, are the same as private individuals.
If a request is addressed to a private individual in a
manner that appeals to him properly, I think we must
all Admit that there is much more chance of its l>cing
listened to and possibly assented to. If the request is
addressed in another set of words, that request may he
refused, and I have, therefore, always, whenever I have
had anything to do with public work in India, impressed
THE LA'I'K MR. HADRUDMN TYABJI. 31
on my countrymen the desirability of keeping witliiii
temperate, moderate language, and of addressing the
Government in those tones which we ourselves like to
be addressed iu, 1 feel perfectly certain, for example,
that when the proceedings of the Congress are carried on
on these lines, they are listened to with greater conside-
ration than if they were carried on on different lines.
Now, as regards the attitude of Government towards
the Congress. Although we Imve been reminded that this
is an occasion on which political views may be discussed,
it must be borne in mind that in the position which I
occupy at present, 1 am not at liberty to discuss *ny
political questions of a controversial character, but I
believe that Government perfectly understand and re-
cognise that the Congress is not a seditious body.
I believe they recognise that the Congress does
consist of a large body of people speaking with
authority upon the question, and although they do
not like their acts to be criticised openly in the way that
sometimes they have been, I believe that the resolutions
of the Congress are really considered by Government in
a sympathetic spirit ; and as far as they think any effect
can be given to them, 1 believe that they are desirous of
giving effect to them and to the desires of the nation as
expressed through the Congress. Hut after all -speaking
for my own countrymen— I think we have to address
ourselves more to the question of education and to the
question of social reform. 1 am afraid that young India
has fixed its attention too exclusively upon politics, and
too little upon education and upon social reform. 1 tun
one of those who think that our improvement and pro-
32 THE LATE MR. HADKUDD1X TYAH.II.
gress lies not in our efforts simply in one direction, >>i 1 1
in various directions, and that we ought to move side by
side for the purpose of improving our soe ; al status and
our educational status ipiite nS much an our politica'
Status, ft is no use labouring together for a representa-
tive Ooveminent of a very advanced type if the majority
of our oira countrymen are still steeped in ignorance,
and experience shows that the majority of the Indian
subjects have not appreciated the advantages of that
higher education upon which. I think, the fate of out'
nation really rests. Look at the Mussalmans. 1 have 1
often in my judicial capacity had to ileal with wills made
and executed by my own people, and I have, found that
a very wealthy individual who dies, if be ha* no near
relations, his one idea is to devote his fortune to some
old-fashioned charity such as the feeding of fakirs, the
building of old-fashioned tanks, or waking pilgrimages
to Mecca, or reading so many hundreds of times the
pages of the Koran, or things of that kind — very excel-
lent things in themselves, hut which, unfortunately, do
not advance the fortunes of the nation. Now, if when
\oung India becomes old and is a,hout to make its will,
it w ill only remember, instead of leaving their fortunes
to these old-fashioned charities, to devote their fortunes
to the advance Of education, I think- we should have
verv much loss cause of com plaint against < iovermnent.
because probably we should he able to do that ourselves
which we now ask Government, to do. As regards the
employment of the people in (iovermnent service, I
think it a perfectly legitimate, aspiration on the part
of the natives of Tndia to be employed in larger and
THE I..ATE MR. BADRTJDDIN TYABJI. 33
larger numbers in the higher degrees of the public
service. Natives of India possess very high natural
qualifications for employment in many branches — such
as the judicial, the public works, the railways, the tele-
graphs —and I, for one, am unable to see why much
larger numbers of the natives of the country should not
he employed in these departments not only without
prejudice, hut with great advantage to the Empire.
h\ July he attended a dinner of the Aligarh
College AsHOcintion, and expressed his deep sym-
pathy with the movement. He was in favour of
Aligarh becoming a university, and appealed to his
brethren for active help.
It has been well remarked by Sir Thomas that one
college, however good and important, cannot possibly be
sufficient for the requirements of fifty or sixty million
Mahommedan* in India, A .Ye must have these institutions
all over India, and it lias always seemed to me of the
greatest possible imporbiuee that the educational insti-
tutions We have in ether narts of the country some of
them fulfilling the leuni'i'"!* mission of imparting primary
education, and oth;-.'s reaching up to the high school
standard, should be raised to or supplemented hv colle-
giate institutions. The well-wishers of our community
present to-niglit ns guests will he pleased to hear that
efforts in this direction are being made (and not without
success) in other parts of India. If, as I hope. Aligarh
develops into a university, it will become the centre of
attraction educationally for :!|l ^lahonunedans, not only
from the various Mahoiume'hn schools and colleges o
3
34 THE LATE MK, BADRUDD1N TYABJ1.
India, but also, it may be, from other parts of the
Mahommedan world. And it certainly is a very
pleasant symptom that we have so recently seen, in con-
nexion with the lloyal visit, such large contributions
made for the endowment of chairs at Aligarli, the dona-
tions including a lstkh of rupees from a private Mahom-
medan gentleman in Bombay, and a large contribution
from that very enlightened, aiost intellectual, and public-
spirited nobleman, the Aga Khan, who, I may point oat.
is much more directly connected with Bom buy than with
Upper India. Having received so much help from Wes-
tern f.ndia, our brethren in the North may permit me the
friendly critici sin that they seem tn have greatly neg-
lected the cause of female education. This is a reproach
to men of their enlightenment, and I have noticed with
the greatest pleasure that recently efforts have been
made to remedy that state of tilings. This is a reform
in respect to which my Mussalmun friends in the North
may not despise to take a leaf out of the book of their
Bombay co-religionists. I need only add that 1
hope the college will develop into a real centre of Moslem
education and enlightenment not merely for the North-
West, but for all India, There is not a Mussalman in
India, certainly not in Bombay, who doi's .iot wish all
prosperity and success to Aligarh.
These were fated to Up his Inst puhjic ittcn-mces.
To all appearance, lie was in excellent health and
being amongst Ins own children, oijuved » degree
of peaceful anrl contented joy (hat, perhaps, only
an Indian parent can appreciate. Hut, unsuspected,
THE LATE MB. BADRUDDIN TYABJI. 35
save by a doctor who kept his own counsel, an
insidious affection of the heart was sapping his
"vitality and carried him away on the 19th
August without pain. Among public men, he will
he long remembered not merely for his sagacity and
eloquence, but for his absolute fearlessness and
fidelity to the popular cause.
WONIESH CHUNDER BONNERJEE.
F few words, Mr. W. C. Bonnerjee was
great in deed. He was made in one of
Nature's generous moods. Intellect, luck,
wealth, power over men, character, — all
were given him by a large measure. He stood
a giant among his countrymen. India was too
narrow for this colossus. If lie had been born
in Europe, nations would have hung on his
word. When a yandhiwra of old sinned, he
was doomed to pass a life in the contracted
sphere of Aryavavta.
Yet Mr. Bonnerjee bore his greatness lightly,
as only "Nature's great men do. Almost the
Dictator of Congress, he seemed scarcely con-
scious of his power. His soul dwelt apart from
all faction, strife, or jealousy. He was too
high for personal rivalry or envy. The arbiter
of .'ill differences, India, hfith need of thee at
This hour ! He carried with him unaffected
smiles, oil for troubled waters, aval rupees that
n'-.ver iini'h'd. Like the ideal schoolmaster his
WOMESH CHUNDER BONNERJEE
WOMESH CHUNDER BONNERJEE. 37
presence was always felt, but seldom seen. To
young Congressmen he is unknown personally,
having removed his activities to England for
some years. But his memorj' pervades the
Congress pandal, and his name can hush for a
moment even the voice of discord. Here was a
Csesar, when comes such another !
His success at the bar, which far transcended
all ordinary measure, was paralleled only by the
result of his advocacy of Congress. He it was
that netted Pandit Ajudhia Jfath, Mr. George
Yule, and Charles Bradlaugh. Who else could
have won for India the championship of the
bravest soldier of freedom of modern time %
Twenty years ago, when the great movement was
started, and they wanted for their first Presi-
dent a man of true elevation of soul' and un-
challenged weight, they could think of none
but W. C. Bonnerjee. Since that time he held
the first place in the Congress Council, sharing
it for some time with Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji till
the G. 0. M. settled in Englvuid and being its
sole occupant subsequently till lie too followed.
Only those who attended the Subjects Committee
meetings, at which the work of Congress is really
shaped, can know the reverence with which his
38 WOMBSH CHUNDER BO^XEItJEE.
ad vice was listened to anil the consummate tact
and wisdom that . he brought to hear on the
settlement of differences, Thanks to his own
powers of organisation find those of bis early
associates, the Congress has now an established
body of traditions and rules of procedure, and
though without a rigid constitution, can stand even
smcli rough weather aw threatened till almost
yestei-day to wreck it. Long ago we learned to be
independent of Mr. A.O. Hume, and get along
with only his bright example and an occasional
letter to rouse our nagging zeal, For some years
past we have been, so far as Congress work in
India is concerned, independent of Mr. W.
C. hkmnerjee too. For while life lasted it was
not possible fot him to withhold from the British
Committee the benefits of his unrivalled knowl-
edge or of his unexampled munificence. So it
must be with all movements that hive to last
beyond a lifetime. The first leaders must in-
fuse a self-perpetuating principle into their
constitution so that the succession of leaders
may be both continuous and efficient. We live
in our descendants. As the Sanskrit proverb
says, the father is born again in his son, and
is proud to be eclipsed by him, Nothing betrays
WOMES11 CHUNDER HONSERJEE. 39
the unworthy lender so much as a fear that
power is slipping through his fingers or retire-
ment from the helm with offended dignity at the
first wight of ii junior begging to be knight the
secret.
Mr. W, C. Honneijee was born at Kidderpove,
in Iris grandfather's estate, in December 1844,
the same year in which Mr. Baciruddin Tyabji was
horn. His grandfather, Babu Pitambar riomierjee,
was banian of n firm of attorneys in Calcutta
named Collier, ButI it Co. His eldest son, Giees
Chandra, first entered his father's office as clerk,
and, after being articled to two lawyers succes-
sively, passed the attorney's examination in 1859
and finally became partner of a firm named Judge
and Bonnerjee. His practical knowledge of law
and skill in conveyancing were remarkable. The
subject of our "ketch was Grees Chandra's second
son. He thus came of a family of lawyers, arid
it, was from his father's firm that he got his
first cane at the Calcutta bar. His career at
school was not promising, private theatricals
proving a stronger attraction than books. First
at the Oriental Seminary, then at the Hindu
School, he received some education till 1861 when
he ought to have appeared for the Matriculation
40 WOMESH CHUNDJiS HONNK1UEE.
Examination. Instead, however, bis father got
him articled to an attorney named W. P,
Downing. Xoxt year lie joined the office of Mr.
W. 1\ Galianders, and acquired an intimate and
thorougli knowledge (if the art of writing out
deeds and pleadings that was to stand him in
good stead later on, It was during this part
of his cai-ee! that he established t.lie Bengalee as
a weekly newspaper, -the first manifestation
of that public spirit which could not be sup-
pressed even by the most absorbing legal
practice.
In 1864 he competed for, ;:nd being the only
competitor obtained, one of the five scholarships
which Mr. Kustomji damsetji Jecjeebhni had
founded for the benefit of Indian students pro-
ceeding to Rnglund for the study of law. He
joined the Middle Temple where his good fortune
procured him the tuition of two eminent lawyers,
T. IT. Da,rt find Edward Fry, Here one of bis
fellow-students was Mr 1 . Badruddin Tyabji, who
was to share with him for many years the
honours And the anxieties of political leadership.
While studying law. he took part in the establish-
ment, of the "London Tnditui Society, which has
since become a powerful factor in Jndian politics.
WOMESH CHUNDKR BOXXEKJEK. 41
In 1867 lie wns called to the bar and set up
practice irt the High Court of Calcutta next year.
His first brief has been already referred to. It
was but the beginning of whtit was to become the
most extensive and lucrative practice of any
barrister in India. His strong memory, prodi-
gio'us industry, and genial disposition combined
with early training in the business of the attor-
ney and the ungrudging professional help of a
thriving barrister named Pitt- Kennedy to raise
him to the very top of the bar. There were only
two other Indian barristers before hivn, — Mr.
Michael Ma.dhu Sudan Dutta and Mr. Mann
Mohan (ihose. The former did not take his
profession seriously, while the latter cared only
for mofussil practice in the criminal lino. Though
thus almost without an Indian rival, Mr. Bonner -
jee seems a.t first to have sufi'ered for his colour,
He himself told a friend that. " at the outset
he received but scant courtesy from those mem-
bers of the legal profession (attorneys, presumably)
who were of his own race. Some fought shy of
him before lie had obtained a. certain touting at
the bar, others, indeed, were jealous of the young
practitioner who, conscious of his superior strength,
looked down upon them sometimes with a dis-
42 WOMKS* CUUXDER HOKXERJEE.
chiinful smile." His father bad died just before
he joined the Calcutta bar, but his pince in the
linn had boon taken bv his uncle Babu Joykissen
Gangoolv. Other relatione too and friends Mr.
TSonnerjee had among members of the legal pro-
fession. Among his best patrons and well- wishers
at this time was an influential member of the
aristocracy named Maharaja. Kamal Krishna
Ti.iha.duv. To this' gentleman Mr. lionnevjee
p;iid to the end the greatest respect and showed
the liveliest gratitude. He always stood bare-
legged in his presence and named his eldest son,
after him, .Kama! Krishna Shelley Bonnerjee.
One of the early ambitions to which he gave
playful expression was that he should earn ten
thousand rupees a month. This he realised in a
very short time, and his income at its highest
often exceeded twice that amount. Though latter-
ly he spent half the year in England, he was
often engaged by cable in important cases, and
Ins assistants met him in Bombay ;md instructed
him on the way to Calcutta. He gave a
helping hand, whenever he could, to deserving
juniors, ami some .Englishmen have been reci-
pients of his generosity. He officiated as Stand-
ing Counsel for four yews, and declined a Judge-
WOMBSH CnUXDUIL BONSERJEE. 43
ship of the High Court move than once. It would
have been n strange thing if he had given up his
unique income at the bar for a third or a quarter of
it on the bench. He rendered eminent services to
the public U\ espousing the causew of Messrs.
Surendra Nath Bnnuerjee and Robert Knight, two
editors whose outspoken and fearless criticism had
made tliem obnoxious to the powers-that-be. His
career as a lawyer may be summed kip in the
.semi-official pronouncement of Mr. Sinba, Officiat-
ing Advocate-GuneL'ftl.
His career at the Bar was one of exceptional brilliance.
Within a few years lie almost reached to the top of his
profession. On the Original Side, ] venture to think,
there has not been, for at least many, many years, a
practitioner in whom the Judges, the attorneys, and the
litigating public had the same amount of confidence as
they had in Mr. lionnerjee, After having attained to
the highest practice possible on the Original Side. Mr.
Bonnerjee commenced to practise on the Appellate Side,
and his success on that side was as rapid as on the
Original Side of this Court. A sound lawyer, a perfect
draughtsman, and a brilliant cross-examiner, Mr. Bouner-
jee was to many of us the ideal of a perfect advocate of
this Court. His merit \va» appreciated both by the public
and the Government of this country, and in 1883 he was
appointed to act as Standing Counsel to the Government
of India, which appointment he held for more than four
years.
44 WOMESH CHUNDER BONNE1WBE.
Official honours came to him in due course.
He was appointed Fellow of the Calcutta Univer-
sity in -1880, became President of the Law
Faculty in 1886, and represented the University
fn the "Bengal Legislative CouiKril in 1894 and
1895. To this period Mr. Romesh Chnnder ]>utt
refers in these, terms :
In 18SH and 1895. Mr. Bonuerjee and I worked to-
gether in the Bengal Legislative Council. 1 liad been
nominated by the Government, and Mr. Bonnerjeo held
the higher position of being elected by the people. We
seldom differed in our views, and on mom,' than one oc-
casion Mr. Bonnerjee's manly fight for his countrymen
was fruitful of good results.
The official recognition, however, tint w;is ex-
tended to him is nothing to the honours that the
nation paid him, J t was in 188o t-.lin.t- Bombay'
witnessed the first .session of the Indian .National
Congress, destined to become the instrument of
untold good to the country as well ;is " the
soundest triumph of British administration nnd a
crown of glory to the British tuition." Mr.
W. U. Bormerjee has himself told the story of the
origin of the Congress, .[t deser ws to be reported
here, as it has, unscathed, run the gauntlet flung
down to it by the indiscreet mid injudicious
biographer of the Marquis of Dufferin and A va.
WOMESH CTLUSDER BONNERJEE. 45
It will probably be news to many that the Indian
National Congress, as it was originally started and as it
has since been carried on, is in reality the work of the
Marquis of Duffoiin and Ava when that nobleman was
(lovernor-Geiierul of India. Mr, A. O. Hume, C.B.,
had, in 1884, conceived the idea that it would be of great
advantage to the country if loading Indian politicians
eould be brought together once a year to discuss social
matters and be upon friendly footing with one another.
He did not desire that politics should form putt of their
discussion, for there woro recognised political bodies in
Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and other parts of India, aud he
thought that these bodies might suffer in importance if,
when Indian politicians from different parts of the country
came together, they discussed politics. His idea further
was that the (loveruor of the Province where the poli-
ticians met should be asl<od to preside over them and
that thereby greater cordiality should be established be-
tween the official classes and the non-official Indian politi-
cians. Full of these ideas he saw the noble Marquis
when he went to Simla early in 1835 after having in
the December previous assumed the Vieeroyalty of India.
Lord Duffcrin tool; great interest in the matter and after
considering over it for some time he sent for Mr, Hume
;ind told him that, in his opinion, Mr. Humes project
would not be ol much use. He said there i»:.is no body
of persons in this country who performed the functions
which Her Majesty's Opposition did in Knglajid. The
newspapers, even if they really represented thv views of
the people, wore not reliable, aud as the English were
jiocoftfjurilv ignorant ol ivliat was thought jf them and
46 womesu. cdxxdkr uonnbeube.
their policy in native circles, it would be very de&h-able
in the interests as well of the rulers as of the ruled that
Indian politicians should meet yearly tmd point out to
the Government in what respects the administration was
defective and how it could he improved : and he added
that an assembly such as he proposed should not be pre-
sided over by the local Governor, for hi his piv.tcnee the
people might not like to speak out their minds. Mr.
Hume was convinced by Lord Jiufferin's arguments and
when he placed the two schemes, his own and Lord
Dufl'erin's. before leading politicoes in Calcutta. Bombay,
Madras, and other parts of the country, the latter unani-
mously accepted Lord Dufferin's scheme and proceeded
to give effect to it. Lord Dufferin had made ita condition
with Mr. Hume that Ins name in connection with the
scheme of the Congress should not lie divulged so long as
he remained in the country, and this condition was faith-
fully maintained and none but the men consulted bv Mr.
Hume knew anything about the matter.
A proud man must Mr. lionnerjt* have been
when at the first gathering in Bombay of the
hundred be^t men in all India, Mr. A. O. Hume
proposed, the Hon. Mr. S. Subrahinania AivHr
(now Sir Justice) seconded, and the Hon..
Mr. K. T. Telang supported, the motion that
" Mr. W. C. Bonnerjee, Standing Counsel, .Bengal,
be invited to assume the office of President of the
Congress." His opening speech was characteristi-
cally short. Tt could not be shorter, — or morf
WOMESH CHUNDUB UOXNEEJEE, 47
weight} 7 . He first elnimeci that the Congress was
representative.
Surely never had so important and comprehensive an
assemblage occurred within historical timet! on the soil
of India. He claimed for it an entirely representative
character. It was true Unit, judged from the standard
of the House of Commons, tlicy were not representatives
of the people, of India, in the sense the members of the
House were representatives of the constituencies. .But
if community of sentiments, community of feelings, and
community of wants enabled any one to speak on behalf
of others, then assuredly they might justly claim to lie
the representatives of the people of .India. It might be
said that they were self-elected, but that was not so.
The news that this Congress would be held had been
known throughout the year in the different provinces of
India., and they all knew that everywhere the news had
been received with great satisfaction by the people at
largo, and though no formal elections had been held, the
representatives had been selected by till the different
Associations and bodies, and he only wished that all thus
selected bad been able to attend, instead of their having
now to lament the absence of nnmy valued coadjutors,
whose attendance bad been unhappily barred by various
unfortunate eircnmstati ees.
It is somewhat curious to refill at this di.stanee
of time the tentative, vague, and perhaps too
obvious statement that the President made at the
time of the objects of the Congress :
48 WOMESH CHUNDER BONNER.TEE.
(a) The promotion of personal intimacy and friendship
amongst all the more earnest workers fri our country's
cause in the (nip. various ?) parts of the Empire.
(o) The eradication by direct friendly personal inter-
course of all possible race, creed, or provincial prejudices
amongst all lovers of our country, and the fuller develop-
ment and consolidation of those sentiments of national
unity that had their Origin ia their beloved Lord Ripon'j:
over memorable reign.
(r) The authoritative record after this has been care-
fully elicited by the fullest discussion of the maturefl
opinions of the educated classes in India on some of the
more important and pressing of the social questions of
the day.
(d) The determination of the lines upon and methods;
by which during the next twelve months it is desirable
for native politicians to labour in the public, interests.
The concluding paragraph contains one of those
protest:) tions of loyalty thnt. in the, early ye;ns of
Congress eveiy speaker thought it necessary to
uiiike in defence of himself ;i.ih1 of the movement
Mi general. Though perhaps the young Congvess-
lufin of the present day considers it, galling to he
under the necessity of repentm"; these sentiments
of loyalty, the time is not siltogethei 1 p;<st when
suspicion of the h;tsic motives of the movement
may brent out on a l.-u-^e scale, Indeed, such ,'t
suspicion has now ginned ground in the mind of
onv enemies to quite :'is laroe nn extent ;is evev,
WOMESU CiiUNDKK BOiTN'EKJllE. 49
Surely there was nothing in these objects to whicfi any
sensible and unprejudiced man could possibly take ex-
ception, and yet on more than one occasion remarks had
been made by gentlemen, who should have been wiser,
condemning the proposed Congress, as if it were a nest
of conspirators and disloyalists. Ijct him say ouce for
all, and in ;his he knew well after the long informal dis-
cussions that they had had amongst themselves on
the previous day, that he wi« only expressing the senti-
ments of every gentleman present, that there were no
more thoroughly loyal and consistent well-wishers of the
British Government than were himself and the friends
around him. In meeting to discuss in an orderly and
peaceable manner questions of vital importance affecting
their well-being, they were following the only course by
which the constitution of England enabled them to
represent their views to the ruling authority. Much had
been done by Great Britain for the benelit of India, and
the whole country was truly grateful to her for it. She
had given them order, she had given them railways, and,
above all, she had given them the inestimable blessing of
Western ed nation. But a great deal still remained to
be done. The more progress the people made in education
and material prosperity, the greater would be the insight
into political matters and tiie keener their desire for
political advancement. He thought that their desire to
be governed according to the ideas of Government pre-
valent in Europe was in no way incompatible with their
thorough loyalty to the British Government, All that
they desired was that the basis of the Government should
be widened and that the people should have their proper
4
50 WOMBSH CHUNDER BONNERJEE.
and legitimate share in it. The discussions that would
take place in this Congress would, he believed, be as
advantageous to the ruling authorities us he was sure it
would be to the people at large.
For the second Congress in Calcutta in 1886
Mr, W, 0. Bonnerjee laboured hard. At the
actual session, his main business was the piloting
of a proposition on the >lury System in India.
Indeed, this subject he made one of hi.;; specialities
in Congress, It was intended to secure finality for
verdicts of acquittal, the power having been
recently given to District Judges of referring
cases to the High Court when they happened to
differ from such verdicts. There was great
opposition to this, for in those early days public
opinion had not assumed a definiteness o:i many
matters:. In the end Mr, Bonnerjee and Mana
Mohan (ihose were together able to clewv many
misconceptions and get the proposition aeopted
by a huge majority. The only other propnsition
he moved was to the effect that Standing Congress
Committees should be formed in .-ill the provinces
of India, for without them " it is quite impossible
to keep up a regular correspondence between all
the different parts of the country and so to arrive
in due time at a, general agreement as to the
WOMESH CHUNDER BONNERJEE. 51
various question* on which action Is to be taken
at the Congress."
At the third Congress in Madras in 1887, ~\lv.
Bonnerjee proposer! the mime of the President,
Mr. Badruddiii Tyabji, hi* ulcl friend mid fellow-
student in England. Mr. Tyahji was doubly
welcome for himself find for the race that he
represented. Mr. R'iniierjee naturally referred to
the significance of the choice, and in these duvs
when designed efforts are being made to set the
communities by the enrs and a few innocent
Mtihainmadans are gulled into anti-Hindu de-
monstrations, it is just as well to quote an early
statement of the Congress attitude in the matter
by such a leader as our hero.
But in this connection, it is necessary for jne to re-
mind you that he is also a Mahomedais gentleman.
I am very sorry, indeed, to have to say it, but there is no
disguising the fart, that in Bengal, in some quartern,
amongst our Mahometan friends, some misapprehension
as to the neope and objects of our National Congress
still exists, and it is absolutely necessary that that
misapprehension should be removed, and that we should
be in fact, as we arc in thought, one community and one
country, owing allegiance to one Sovereign. The mis-
apprehension under which those Mahomedan gentlemen
(some of them at least) labour, who do not cordially
sympathise with us, is due, I believe, to an apprehension
52 WOMESH CHUNDEE BON~MERJEE.
that the question of " Representative Government " which
was presented to the Congress of the year 1885, which
was again pressed by the Congress of the year 1886,
and which, I believe, will be once more urged by us here
will not, il given effect to. practically prove to bo con-
ducive to the interests of the Mahometan population of
this country. I am very glud to hear tbese murmur* of
dissent from this assembly of delegates, a large number
of whom, I see. are Mahomedaus, because, J was just
going to say that this apprehension was perfectly un-
founded. There is nothing in the, objects and soopo of
this National Congress, which can, directly or indirectly,
be in any way inimical to the interests of our Mahometan
fullow'-couiitrymeii. or of any other section of the
community. We wiuit a representative Government in its
truest and best sense, and i. for one,— and Iain speaking
in this matter on behaif of, I believe, the whole of the
Hindu delegates -do not desh-c a hole and eornei'
representation, but a representation of every community
in the country, so that the whole of India may be
perfectly represented to the governing authorities— so
that tlieir grievances may be remedied - so that every-
thing necessary to make the nation contented and happy,
niav be done by the governing authorities. It is not
neeessarv for me to detain you at any length upon this
subject, as 1 see we are all agreed upon it.
At thi* Congress, too. the President had great
diftioiilt', 7 i» conducting the proceeding*, for seve-
ral propositions wove either opposed or often
nviietuled. TIir one on Military Colleges evoked a
WOMESH CHUNDER BONNEBJEB. 53
great desil of criticism, and at one stage the ex-
pression native of India ivns introduced. At once
up rose u delegate and naked fov its meaning. The
President appealed to Mr. W. C. Botmerjee who
made it the occnsion for advancing one of the
principles of Congress :
I. thought it was well known, that all Hindus, all Maho-
medans, alt Parsees, all Eurasians, al! East Indians and
all domiciled Europeans, and all persons horn in India
of domiciled parents are, in the eye of the law, " jw lives
of India, " and are defined to he so by statute. The
words " as defined by statute " have to lie introduced,
because they will prevent misunderstanding on the part
of such of our brethren as are Eurasians, East Indians,
or domiciled Europeans, or the children of these, all of
whom are really included in the legal term " native of
India." We are now perfectly agreed that these col-
leges should be for the benefit of the whole of India.
Let it not be said that this Congress has put anything
in such an uncertain wav that it might hereafter be said
that Eurasians and East Indians and domiciled Euro-
peans were not included in the term '• native of India. ''
Next year Mr. W. C. Bonnerjoo proceeded to
England for the sake of his health, but did not
take his time altogether easily. With the help of
Mr. D;idabhai mirl some English friends, he suc-
ceeded in establishing a political agency for India
in Enghmd. He also nddrossed several meetings
54 WOMESH CHUNDEK BOXXEKJ IIB.
in different parts of that country to make known*
Indian grievances and rouse idle Imperial public
to ;t sense of their duties to India.. These speeches
exhibit Mr. . Bonnerjee's style of speaking at its
best. Plain, brief, direct, entirely free from
claptrap and finely- turned sentiments, they yet
show perfect mastery of the fsuts and a business-
like method of exposition. They are pervaded by
a tone of perfect loyalty to the Government of
Britain and by ft degree of faith in the love of
justice of the British nation which seems to us
now-a-dfiys to have savoured of the romantic.
A few passages nve culled from his English
utterances to show his political views.
On the Russian scare, and the best solution
theieof, he said ■.
When llussia was thousands of miles away from India,
and was gradually civilising Central Asia, it used to he
the cry, that &h soon as Hussia came to a place called
Mcrv, she would seize India.. Russia reached Merv
many years ago, and India Mtill remains an English pos-
session ; and I am in a position to say on behalf of my
countrymen — I am a Native of India and belong to one
of the various castes, which caste is the caste of JJrah-
mhi — in a position to tell you that they would no more
allow Hussia, notwithstanding the neglect with which
they have been treated, to take India, than they would
allow the Hottentots to do so. Sly countrymen are loyal
WOMESH. CIIUNDER BONNEKJBB, 55
to England to the backbone. They will, when necessity
arises, fight shoulder to shoulder with Englishmen for the
purpose of retaining English rule and sending away any
intruder. Your Tories do not understand that : they wish
to keep everybody down with a firm hand. Tour Tory
does not believe it is possible to rule by affection, and to
claim the good-will and the willing service of the people.
He only believes in his big army, with its big guns, some
of which, as yon have hoard to-night, cost £200 to lire
one shot. I do not believe that Russia has the slightest
inimical intention towards India. For the purpose of
preventing Russia going to India money is being wanted
in the way Dr. Aubrey has referred to, and in order to
provide money fur this purpose tlie Government of India
has actually raised the tax upon .salt which, as I have
before said, is one of the necessaries of life of the people.
Sir James Fitzpunes Stephen, who milled a few
obnoxious provisions to our Penal Code, rame in
for a hard, knock or two :
In the year 1870, to our very great misfortune, Sir
James Fitzjames Stephen w&s appointed law member of
the Viceroy's Council. He went out to India and the
first thing he took in hand was called ■' The Amendment
of the Criminal Procedure Code.'' That amendment
consisted in this — that he took away the finality from the
verdict of the jnuy : he gave the power which no judge in
India had ever possessed before, of enhancing sentences
on appeal ; and he made the Criminal Procedure Code
almost Draconian in its severity. You have, I have no
doubt, heard that the people of India are as law-abiding
56 womesh cnrsDKR bonnerjee.
an any people on the earth — a.nd vet in a country like that
the Criminal Procedure Code has been made the severest
of any in the civilised world. I will tell you what
happened under this law. This is an instil nee, you may
call it an extreme instance, but it took place, and there
are others which take place every day. to the great
oppression of the people of the Country, who protest, but'
nobody listens to their protest. A man wan tried in one
of the districts in Bengal for murder. The trial took
place, not before a jury, but before what are called
assessors — two assessors and a judge. The judge eon- '
curring with the two assessors, found the man not guilty
of murder, but found liiin guilty of manslaughter, and
sentenced him to hard labour for five years. He appealed
against his conviction — he had the right of appeal, the trial
having been held with the aid of assessors and not with the
aid of a jury. The case came before the High Court of
Calcutta. He. was a pool' man and could not be propcrly
represented. The judges upset the conviction as regards
man -slaughter, found the man guilty of murder, sen-
tenced him to be hanged, and notwithstanding petitions
for mercy from nearly the whole country that man was
hanged. He had in the meantime undergone nearly two
months of that imprisonment, so that he wan kept in
rigorous imprisonment for two months, and at the end of
that was hanged. Now this created such :i shock in
the minds of the people that it is impossible to describe
the sensation in the country at the time ; everybody
wept aloud almost, but there was nobody to take any
notice of that. Our district officers thought that the
prestige of the High Court would be lost if the (Jovern-
WOMESH CHUNDSK BONNEBJKE. 57
ment interfered and allowed that man to live. The High
Court had the power, and could have sentenced him to
transportation for life; but no -the man was sentenced to
be hanged, and hanged he was accordingly. There are
many instances where a man has been fined, after Sir
James Fitzjames Stephen's law he has appealed, and the
result has been that the judges, instead of affirming the
fine, have sent him to hard labour for many months. Now
I saw the scene created in this country when it was re-
ported, and truly reported, that some Country Court
judges in Ireland had enhanced the sentences on
appeal. There was a tremendous outburst, and the l'emdt
was that even Mr. Balfour was obliged to send instruc-
tions to his Country Court judges not to enhance
sentences on appeal. But a thing like this goes on in
India almost every day. The people <-ry aloud against it,
but there is nobody to pay heed to their cry.
Here is another :
This very Sir James Fitzjames Stephen passed what
is called the Evidence Act for India. It is the substance
of Pitt Taylor's book boiled down considerably. Well,
one clause he has introduced is that at a criminal trial
the previous conviction of any prisoner may bo given in
evidence at any stage. That is to say, in the year of
grace 1888 a man is charged with picking another per-
son's pocket, you may give evidence against him, that in
1830 he was guilt of bigamy. And what do you think
is the reason given for this ? Sir James Kitzjames
Stephen says in his report to the Legislative Council :
"it is said ihnt evidence of this description may
58 WOMESO CIIUND13K HONNKRJEK.
prejudice the prisoner, My ansivev is that if the
prisoner is guilty" — mark the logic l; it the prisoner
is guilty I do not sen why he should not be prejudiced,
the object of giving evidence against a man being to
show whether he is guilty or not." And lawa of this
description have been passed, people have protested,
but there is no heed paid to these protests.
Speaking of members of the Legislative Council
appointed by (rovernme nt, Mr. Bormerjee told a
funny anecdote :
One of these gentlemen was a very constant attendant
at meetings of the Viceregal Legislative Council, and
was one of the supporters upon whom the Ooverninent
relied. One of his friends asked hini how it was that he
voted upon every question in a particular way, seeing
that lie did not understand a single word of what was
taking place. His answer was : il It has been the pleasure
of the Viceroy to instal me in this place as one of hia
councillors, and it is my duty to vote for him on all oc-
casions." He was then asked how he knew the wav in
which the Viceroy wanted him to vote, and his answer
was : '' When the Viceroy lifts up his hand one way, I
know he wants me to say ■ Yes', and I say ' Yes'; and
when he lifts up his hand in a different way, 1 know he
wants me to say ' No', and I sav ; N'o'."
If they ventured to vote against the wishes of
the Govern mm it, this is what happened :
It is no use telling the civilized world that you have
the people of India with you in your Councils. You
know that these people of India are dependent for their
W0MES1I 0.1IUSDEK BONNKKJEE. 59
position in tin; Councils and for their position in the
country upon your goodwill. If they do not support
you, you never re-appoint them ; you have things report-
ed against them, and their life is a burden to them.
Anyone now appointed to these Councils by the favour
of the Government comes there with his life almost in
his hand, because if he is found to be in »uy way independ-
ent- he is not only not re-appointed but his position in
the country is made intolerable for him.
That riKlifins have never had representative
institutions is one of those fallacies which our
loaders have time after time exploded, but which
are still repeated by interested Anglo-Indian
critics. Only the other day we were surprised to
hear that this old libel was. uttered by the Gover-
nor of Madras. So long ago hs I888M1, Bormerjee
had answered the charge :
I will only say that the objection which lias been
raised by some persons in this country and also in India
of a conservative turn of mind that the people of India
are not fit for the kind of Government Mr. Bradlaugh
has in view, is of no force whatever. Any one who i*
acquainted with the village system of India knows that at
a time when civilization was unknown in this country
representative institutions of a kind obtained in that
country. Representation is ingrained in the minds of
the people. From the time the East India Company
first obtained aseenditucy in the country they have not
had many opportunities of giving effect to the principle,
60 WOMESH CHUKDEB BONNEHJEE.
but it cannot be said that they have forgotten it. The
village system, which is based upon representation, in
still to be found in the country, and in some parte it is
still in full operation.
From this arduous campaign in England he
returned to India in time for the Congress session
held at Allahabad under the presidency of Mr.
George Yule whom he himself had persuaded to
accept the onerous office. Not only the President
of this year, but the Chairman of the Reception
Committee, Pandit Ajudhia Xatti, was Mr.
Bonnerjee's acquisition for the Congress cause.
In a speech of his own as President of a later
Congress sitting in that very city", he told the
story of their conversion ;
With Pandit Ajudhianath lias passed away that other
great Congress leader, Mr. George Yule. These were the
two most prominent figures in the Congress held in this
city in 1888 : Pandit Ajndhianath as the Chairman of the
Reception Committee ; Mr, Yule as the President of the
Congress. It was my singular good fortune to have
been the means of inducing both these gentlemen to
espouse the Congress cause. T was here in April, 1887,
and met Pandit Ajndhianath. who had not then express-
ed his views, one way or another, with regard to Con-
gress matters. I discussed the matter with him. He
listened to me with his usual courtesy and urbanity, and
he pointed out to uio certain defects which he thought
existed in our system ; and, at last, after a sympathetic
W0ME3H CHUNDER BONNEKJEE. 61
hearing of over an hour »nd a half, he told mo he would
think of all I had said to him, and that he would consi-
der the matter carefully and thoroughly, and then let me
know his views. I never heard anything from him from
that time until on the eve of my departure for Madras
to attend the Congress of 1887. ] then received a letter
from him in which he said 1 had made a convert of him
to the Congress cause, that he had thoroughly made up
his mind to join us, that he was anxious to go to Madras
himself, but that illness prevented him from doing so,
aiid he sent a message that if it pleased the Congress to
hold its next Sessions at Allahabad in 1888, he would do
all he could to make the Congress a success. And you
know — certainly, those of you who attended know — what
a. success he did make ot it. Our venerable President of
the Reception Committee of this present Congress has
told us the difficulties which had to he encountered to
make that Congress a success, and I do not belittle his
services or those of any other worthy Congressman who
worked "with him at ttic Congress, when T say that it was
owing to Pandit A.judhianatli's exertions that that Con-
gress was these roe** it was.
When it whs time to select a President lor recom-
mendation to the Congress of 1 388, it was suggested to
me, 1 being then in England, that I might ascertain the
views of Mr. * leorge Yule, and ask him to preside. T
accordingly ««»■ him at his office in the city, and had the
same kind of conversation with him as I had had, the
year before, with Pandit Ajudhianath. He also listened
to me kindlv. courteously and sympathetically, and. asked
inp to give him all the Congi'ess literature 1 had. I had
62 WOMKSH CIICSDEIt MVXSE1UEE.
only the three reports of the Congress meetings of 138J,
1P86 and 1887, and ] sent these to him ; and to my ^<i'0;it
joy. and, as it afterwards turned out. to thy gie.it benefit
of tile Congress, Mr. Yule came to s<je me at my house and
told me that he entirely sympathised with the eausi', and
that, if elected to be the President of the Congress of
that year, he would be proud of the position anil would
do what he eould for us. Those who had the good for-
tune to attend the Cougrews of ISf'S, know tow manfully
and how weil lie sustained the duties of his position ;
how he pointed out that the chief plank in the Congress
platform — namely, the reform and reeonstitution of the
Legislative Councils of this country- was by no means
an invention on the part of the Congress; that that point
had received the attention and had been favourably con-
sidered and spoken of by that marvellous English
statesman, Benjamin Disraeli, Karl of Beaoonsiiehl.
He. told us that wc were treading on the footsteps of
that great man, and that if wc persevering!}- stuck to our
colours, some time or other we should get what we
wanted. From that time to the day of his death, Mr.
Yule worked with us, gave us Iris valuable advice ant!
helped us considerably as regards our working expenses.
Pandit Ajudhiauath, as yon know, from the time he join-
ed the Congress, worked early, worked late, worked
with the old, worked with the young, never spared any
personal sacrifices, so that he might do good to his coun-
try and to the Congress, and his lamented death came
upon him when ho was coming back from Nagpore, after
having worked there for the sitewss of the Nagpore
Congress of last year. Those who ever so slightly knew
WOMEsn OHUSDKK BONNUBJEE. (53
Pandit Ajudhianath and Mr. Yule will never be able to
forgot the great services which those gentlemen rendered
to the Congress cause.
In the 1888 Congress, however, Mr. Bcmnerjetj
came upon the platform only once, — to move that
the resolutions arrived at should he submitted to
the Governments of .India and England. From his
speech on the occasion we will take only one
passage counselling patience and moderation :
Now, Brother Delegates, one word more and 1 have
done. Do not be east down, do not be disheartened, if
immediately you put forward a request itisnot granted by
those who are responsible tor the good government of
the country. Be patient, be moderate, be true to
your cause and to yourselves. Remember that even
now there are many reforms about whioh large majorities
are agreed, which the English people are themselves
asking for and which they have not yet got. If you
are true to yourselves, it' you arc moderate, if you are
reasonable in your demands, and if you go on agitating,
agitating and agitating loyally mid constitutionally,
believing that the British public —and in that public 1
include our A.nglo-Tndum !i-iends in tins country -is a
truth-loving and a justice-loving public, you will he sura
to get what you are asking for in the end. tiive a long
pull, a strong pull, and a. pull altogether, and you reach
the shores of victory in no time.
We are now brought to the Vth Indian Xa-
tiona.l Congress, one of the most rnemorahie sittings
64 WOMESH CHUNDER BONNERJEE.
it Las had, memorable for the witty »nd sparkling
address of Mr. Pherozeshah M. Mehta as Chair-
man of tins "Reception Oommitt.ee, for the presi-
dency of Sir W. Weclderburn, ji.nd for the
presence and short, but animating, speech of
(Jharle> Bmdlangh. For tins last blessing the
country was indebted to Mr. Boimerjee and the
delegates knew it. He was. therefore, not the
least remarkable among the remarkable men that
sat round Sir W. Wediierbjirn. To him fell the
honour of proposing the election of the President
and tie did mo in n neat little speech which
contained one of the few instances of humour to
be discovered in his utterances, — » humour, how-
ever, which had been anticipated bv Mr. Mehta
on a similar occasion the preceding year.
If you look buck to the Presidents that we have had
from 188."), you will sec that the selection of Sir William
Vir'edderburn has been arrived fit by a sort of logical
process. The first Congress in 188.") was comparatively
un insignificant one, and you were presided over on that
occasion by an equally insignificant individual. The
Second Congress had the honor of being presided over by
one who has devoted the whole of his life to the cause of
his country, and who, even in his oldage, is at the present
moment appealing to the electors of one of the constitu-
encies of England in order that, if returned to the House
of Commons, he maybe able still more effefittvely to serve
WOMESH CHUNDER BONNERJEE 65
that country. Can 1 name Dadabhai Naoroji without
calling from you enthusiastic applause. The third Con-
gress was presided over by a gentleman of the Mahomedan
persuasion, who, having distinguished himself at the bar
and in public life, was thought to be the Attest man to
contradict the rumours that had been sedulously cast
abroad that this was a Hindu Congress and that Maho-
medan gentlemen had no sympathy with it. The next
President ought, according to the process which we fol-
lowed, to have been a gentleman belonging to the
Eurasian community ; but at the time when it became
necessary to select a President, the man amongst the
Eurasian community whom the whole of this country
would have hailed with one voice as President of the
Congress, Mr. D. S. White, was lying ill in bed ; and
while be was in that condition it would have been im-
proper for us to ask any other Eurasian gentleman to
take his place. Now, unfortunately, he is no more ; and
India has lost one of her brightest sons and best patriots
in Mr. D. S. White. Failing Mr. White, we had to go
to that other community in India -the Anglo-Indian
community — and there we found our late respected
President Mr. George Yule. Of him I need say
no more than this, that having retired to England
he is still devoting his time and his money to the further-
ance of the cause of the Congress, From the non-official
European community to the official European community
is but a slight descent, but unfortunately it is impossible
for us to get a gentleman at the time actually belonging
to the official classes to guide our deliberations. How-
ever sympathetic they may be, however much they may
5
66 "WOMESH CHUNBKIl OONNEBJEE.
wish success to the Congress, tin"- rules of the service to
which they belong prevent tlci.- I'ublioly joining us and
taking a prominent pan in o<\f proceedings. But ex
officials do not occupy suc-ii :i >•< -itricted portion : they
arc able to exercise their juri.-i < -nt in mutters political.
And we have in Sir William Vw , klerburn an ex official
who has throughout his carei ;• hi r.liis country, extending
over 2o years, shown the dwp;— r. -;. mpathy with the aspi-
rations of the people of this eoeniry, mid who is one of
the few men in the service who )i,\ ve had the eye to see
and the heart to feel that the ' m irniraent of India, eon"
ducted though ft may be upon -;enerouK principles, is
not all that is required i'ui' tio- best interests of the
country, andth.it its institution- r. -quire to be liberalized
in order that they may haruio'ii/i' with the conditions
of the present day.
He proposed thisve;u- anoUt-'r-r resolution pray-
ing for cerUin niodificatifei.-, in the rales »nd
practices of the Home of ('himiiouk tind for the
Indian Budget being brou<_-iii i.efoi-e that House
at an early date so fis to si-i-ure mi jidequnt* dis-
cussion of Indian grievances.. 1:1*- l.hen told the
familiar story of the ein[>t\ .Hmi.sc with ,-i pta-sonnl
reminiscence.
If the statement could be brought. forward atan earlier
date, many of the most influential members who take an
interest in Indian affairs, won Id rem-., in in London andtake
part in the discussion, but at present it is impossible that
it should be so. I remember uh.-n I was present *in the
wohesh chtj'ndbr BoaNBajEE. 67
House last year, to listen to the Budget Statement, there
v&yi a time when the only members present were the
Chairman of Committee, Mr. Courteney, and SirR. Leth-
bridge, who was addressing the empty benches of the
House. There was not another soul present, Mr. Brad-
laugh having withdrawn for two ov three minutes to the'
smoking-room.
Though he hail himself invited the Congress to
assemble in Calcutta in 1890, illness and domestic
affliction prevented his presence ;*t its sitting.
No doubt he was sorely missed and the sympathy
of nil the delegates went out to him. Mr. M.ina
Moliun G hose referred feelingly to his absence, and
the President., Mr. Mehta, paid a compliment in his
own inimitable fashion to his absent friend. At
all previous Congresses Mr. Bonnerjeee had
moved the re-appointment of Mr. A. 0. Hume to
the General Secretaryship, and as the time came
round this year for a similar motion, it had to be
passed on to another Congress veteran — Mr.
Surendm ISath Bannerjee.
At the 1891 Congress at Nagpur, Mr. Honnerjee
moved some important propositions. The first
embodied the determination of the country to hold
a Congress every year in India ' until all necessary
reforms have been secured.' This was against the
suggestion of the British Congress Committee that
68 WOMESH CHTJNDBR BONNEBJIB.
the Indian sittings be suspended til] the Congress
should have assembled once in England. The
second resolution he moved was to record the
Congress's high estimate and deep Appreciation of
the grent services of Mr, Dadnbliai Naoroji and
thank the electors of Central Finsbnry and all
others that had fm-thered his candidature. The
entire speech is here.
ts there any one amongst yon who has not heard the
name of Dadabhai Naoroji, or, having heard it. does not
revere it, does not love it, does not carry it about with him
as a household word ? Prom the time when he was a-
young man to the present day when lie is over three score
rears old, he has devoted himself, his fortune, his talents,
his life one may say, to the cause of the country. There
is no publicist among us who knows the economical con-
dition of India so well as Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji. He
has fought, and, in my opinion, fought successfully, many
a tough battle with the adversaries of India. Chief
amongst thein was that very superior person Sir Mount-
stuart Elphin stone trrant-Duff, who, when he was in
India only corresponded with such high personages as
Prince Bismarck and thejBiTipresa Frederick. Now Mr.
Dadabhai Naoroji, not for any personal advantage to
himself but only for the sake of his country, has been
try hi" for some years to yet into the House of Commons,
so that there, in the midst of the representatives of
(Ireat Britain herself, ho may plead the cause of his na-
tive country. Yon know how difficult it is even for Eng-
WOMBSH CH UNDER BoNNERJEE. 69
lishinen to get into the House of Commons, He has
failed once, but the spirit which led him to devote his life
to his country is still in him and stirring him on to do
the best he can to get tt seat in the House of Commonsi
AD that I ask you to do by this resolution is to say that
you have your old confidence in the old man, and that
you will be sincerely grateful to any constituency in
Great Britain that will do itself the inestimable honor
of sending Mr. Diidahhai Naoroji to the House of Com-
mons.
The third resolution that he moved was his own
by prescriptive right. Both Messrs. Hume and
Pandit Ajtidhia Nath had expressed a desire,
owing to ill-health, to be relieved of their duties as
General Secretary and Joint-General Secretary
respectively. But Mr. Bonnerjee was able to,
announce that they had both yielded " to the.
persuasion that had been brought to bear on them."
Of course, the persuasion could have eonie only
from one source.
Next year (1892) the Congress Presidentship
came round to him a second time, — a signal
honour which only Hadabha.i and Surendra.
Nath share with him. We have already quoted
from his inaugural address. For a man generally
averse ' to speechifying,' this effort was long ;
but it is packed full of good sense and sound
70 TiVOMBBH CHUNDEK BONNER JEE.
wisdom. The success of Congress he attributed,
above ali other things, to the influences of British
rule.
The persons to whom I have referred have been
troubling their brains, from almost the very commence-
ment of the movement, to find out how it is that this
movement, which they are pleased to call only a "native"
movement, has been such a success, l\i\& they have hit
upon one of the. causes, which they have iterated and
reiterated in season and out of season, bs the cause of
the success of the Congress ; namely, the influence over
us of that great man- Allan Octsrian Hume. That Mr.
Hume possesses, and has exercised, a vast amount of in-
fluence over the Congress movement, and over each
single Congress which has met, is a fact. We are not
oniy not ashamed to acknowledge it, but we acknowledge
it with gratitude to that gentleman, and ive are prowl Of
his connection with the Congress. But the movement is
only to some extent, a^d I may say, oniy to a limited ex-
tent, due to the influence which Mr. Hume has exercised
over us. It is not the influence of this man, or of that
man, or of any third man that has made the Congress
what it is. It is the British professors who have dis-
coursed eloquently to us o;i the glorious constitution of
their country ; it is the British merchants who have
shown to us how well to deal with the commodities of our
country; it in the British engineers who have annihilated
distil nee and enabled us to come together for our delibe-
rations from all parts of the Empire ; it is the British
planters who have shown us how best to raise the pro-
womesu cmr.vijKa bonxek.tre.
71
ducts of our soil ; it is all
the influences which em ! ;
that have made the Con-r
gress is a mere manifesto
been done by all those m
ought also to have referr.
who have worked urn ous-
ting movement to do. is i<
this country and in {}••■.
strain on the connectl ■
Britain and this country.
by the ruling authorities '
we labour may be reinou
have the same faoili tie-
Great Britain hersolf. 11
the latter end no one can
the hope of it before an, ■
fellow-subjects that this I
Mr. Bonner jee lieh<
on Social Refoi-m, 1!
discussion of social cju'
separate community
which it ought to fin i
was n verse to the ■
itself with these vifc;i! :
I am one of those \vl , .
public discussion of soi-
which, I think, ought U>
community who belong r
t.'.vsc, in other words, it is all
>.n\<-. from British rule in India
<■-- the success it is. The Con-
?!■■!: of the good work that has
i v. horn I have referred, (and I
■il ti) the British missionaries
i •■•<) ; and all that we wish by
"~i. the British public, both in
■■;it Britain, that, without any
» v hich exists between Great
-!>li measures may be adopted
I:.::; tlifi grievances under which
■d, i'.'id that we may hereafter
u ! national lite that exist in
f\ long it will take us to reach
i..li : but it is our duty to keep
itnj .'. ccp reminding our British
■ '»!>«- shall always be with us.
miiiewhat peeulinr views
■• - 1 1 - 1 not Relieve in public
. -'luiiS, and felt Unit each
li:,.i its own troubles for
il'- own solution. So he
;rj.i>iss, ns such, mneet'ning
:i;.i thorny problems.
■ ',,.; very little faith in the
iii iiiattci'S ; those are things
V I: ft to the individuals of a
i. rh'- same social organisation,
72 WOMBSH CHUNDEB BONNERJEE.
to do what they can for its improvement. We know how
excited people become when social subjects are discussed
in public. Not long ago we had an instance of this when
what was called the Age of Consent Bill was introduced
into the Viceregal Legislative Council. I do not propose
to say one word as to the merits of the controversy that
arose over that measure, but T allude to it to illustrate
how apt tho public mind is to get agitated over these
social matters if they arc discussed in a hostile and
unfriendly spirit in public.
I may point out that wc do not all understand in the
same sense what is meant by social reform, Some of us
are anxious that our daughters should have the same
education as our sons, that they should go to universi-
ties, that they should adopt learned professions ; others,
who are more timid, would be content with seeing that
their children are not given in marriage when very
young, and that child-widows should not remain widows
all the days of their lives. Others, more timid still,
would allow social problems to solve themselves. Tt is
impossible to get any common ground, even as regards
the members of the same community, be it Hindu. Alaho-
medan or Parsee, with respect to these matters. Thus it
was that social questions were left out of the Congress
programme; thus it was that the Congress commenced
and has since remained, and will, I sincerely trust, always
remain as a purely political organisation, devoting its
energies to political matters, and political matters only.
I am afraid that those, whether belonging to our own
country or to any other country, who find fault with ns
for not making social subjects a part of our work,
WOMESH CHUNDER HOXXERJEE. 73
cherish a secret wish that we might all be set by the ears,
as we were all set by the ears by the Age of Consent Bill'
and that thus we might eome to an ignominious end.
They mean us no good, and when we find critics of that
description talking of the Congress us only fit to discuss
social problems, I think the wider the berth we give them
the better.
Touching the recently Rgitiited question, whe-
ther India ought to be ». party question in
British .politics, Mr. Bonnerjee held decided views.
The Cabinet is so troubled with the affairs of the vast
British Empire that the members really have no time to
devote to India as :i body, and leave her to their colleague,
the Secretary of State for India. When any Indian
question comes before the House of Commons, what do
we sec ? The Cabinet of the day has always a majority in
the House, and it always finds supporters among its own
party, whether they are would-be placemen or whether
they are country gentlemen who go to the House of Com-
mons as the bent club in Kngland. And in non-party
matters and they make it u pretence in the House of
Commons to regard Indian affairs as matters non-party,
— in all non-party matters, the Government of the day
can always rely upon a large amount of support from the
Opposition. There are a few members of the House of
Commons who make it a point to devote a portion of
their time and energies to the consideration of Indian
questions. But they are only a few ; they have hardly
any following : and if they press any matters on the
attention of the House, with any degree of zeal, they are
r4- WOMESH CHUNDEIt BONNEHJEK.
voted down as bores by the rest of the House of Com-
mons.
He held forth at length on mutters of civil and
criminal justice with which he h*A unequalled
ftunih'arit.y. Of the infamous Jury Notification
of Sir Charles Elliott he Imd many hn.nl things
to say, of which the concluding observation is too
good to he omitted.
It is said that trial by jury is foreign to this country.
We, who have cherished our Punehayet system for gene-
rations, to be told that trial by jury is foreign to us, to be
told ho at the fag-end o£ the nineteenth eentury, why, it is
strange indeed! No, no, gentlemen — it was on our Pun-
ehayet system that Lord (,'ornwallis proceeded when in
17SK> be ruled that we should have trial byjnry. It was
on that system that Sir Thomas Munro based his regu-
lation whieh his successor promulgated in 1827. It was
on that system that the Bombay regulation on the
subject was introduced, and when these regulations were
codified in J 861, it was on that system the law was based.
We must have the system extended to the whole country
and not withdrawn i'rom any part of it, and we must there-
tore join together and agitate on the subject from one end
of India to the other, and say, that this notification,
which has given rise to so much discontent, was not re-
quired, and that it should tie withdrawn, and withdrawn
as speedily as possible and the policy of which it is the
outcome reversed.
WOMESU CUUNDER BONNEEJEE. 75
The Congresses of 1893 and 1894 Mi\ Bon-
nerjee did not attend. In 1895 at the Poona
sitting he moved tin important proposition on the
system of trial by jury, giving in brief the his-
tory of the .system in India and condemning in
softtliiii" terms the proposal of Sir Alexander
Miller to empower District Judges to call upon
juries to give .special verdicts. The whole pas-
sage dealing with this Inst subject is worth
reproducing.
Suddenly early this year Hir Alexander Miller introdu-
ced a Bill in the Supreme Council, one of the provisions
of which is that juries should be called upon to give
special verdicts. Juries should be called upon to give a.
general verdict, and if the Judge is not satisfied with it,
he may ask questions and get answers to those Questions
in the shape oi' special verdicts. In other words, L can-
not help feeling that it is intended to allow a Judge, if
he differs from the verdict of juries, the power of cross-
examining jurymen and putting them into a corner.
Now, we may well say whether a person is telling the
truth ; we may very well arrive at a conclusion whether
a case made against a prisoner is a true case or a false
one. Five men, perfectly indifferent to the prisoner and
perfectly indifferent to the Crown, may be expected to
arrive at a right verdict ; but unless they are trained
lawyers, unless they have the logical faculty oi assigning
reasons for their opinions in a biking shape, you can-
not expect the jurymen to give such verdicts as would
76 WOMESH CHUNDER HONKERJBE.
be acceptable to everybody ; and if a juryman gives
reasons which are not acceptable and which appear on
the face of them to be foolish, the Judge would go to
the High Court and say, " Ijook at the verdict, look at
the reasons which these men have given for the verdict ;
they are foolish and their verdict must be upset,"
though their verdict may be perfectly just under the
circumstances.
I was trying, with the help of a friend of mine, whom
I am glad to see present here, to find from Cox's Crimi-
nal Reports whether in England there is such a thing as
special verdicts in criminal eases. We find hundreds of
special verdicts in civil cases, but we could not find from
the beginning of the existence of the English nation
down to the present time a single case of a special ver-
dict in a criminal ease. When you consider, gentlemen,
that in this country wc nre almost f'' ee from serious
crimes, and when you consider that the percentage of
crime is as low as it is possible to imagine, and when
you eonsider, on the other hand, that the percentage of
crime in England is as great as can he imagined— while
you have in England no such speeial verdicts in criminal
cases, we are to have special verdicts in criminal cases
in this country ! Therefore, I say, we all ought to unite
in protesting against those changes in criminal law that
are being made, and what is worse, are being threatened
almost every day. We, from this Congress, ought to
send up a strong protest against a thing of this descrip-
tion. For, after all, as my friend Mr. Ghose has so well
put it, the real popularity of British rule and the real
reason of the loyalty of the people are the belief on the
WOMESH CHUNDER BONNEKJBE. I <
part of the people that justice, criminal justice, is
being administered in a fair and impartial way. If yon
interfere with these things no often, and interfere need-
lessly, and interfere with the view of putting more
power into the hands of District Magistrates and Dis-
trict Judges, that confidence in the impartiality of
British justice will be destroyed and we shall be
brought to a position which I fear to contemplate.
At the 1896 Congress in Calcutta, Mr. Bonnerjee
moved a proposition expressing the country's
confidence in Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji and wishing
his re-election to Parliament. His speech on the
occasion must be given to our readers entire.
This resolution was entrusted to me without my con-
sent and in spite of ray remonstrances. I believe myself
that our Subjects Committee were, at the last moment
when they made up their minds to force this upon me
under fatalistic influences. I remember I moved a similar
resolution in the Congress of 1891, which was received
as enthusiastically as this has been received by you to-day
In 1892 there was a General Election in England, and
Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji was returned at the head of the
poll as member for Central Finsbury. I suppose the
Subjects Committee thought that if this resolution was
again brought before you, and brought before you by the
same individual who presented it to you in 1891, a simi-
lar result might follow. At any rate, here is the resolu-
tion, and I can only say that it does not require any
words from any one to make it acceptable to vou. The
example that Mr, Dadabhai Naoroji has set un all is
78 WOMESH CHITNDER BONNERJKE.
perfectly unique. Here is an old man, over 70 years of
age, working, you may say day and night, nigljt and day,
for the benefit of his countrymen. He has had to banish
himself from his own country and live in a foreign land'
away from his old friends, only for the sake of this coun-
try. Some little time ago our only Member of Parlia-
ment, that is to say, the only Indian gentleman who
succeeded in finding a seat at the last election Mr'
Bhownagri — came back to this country, and some fdblish
friends of his wanted to get up a demonstration in bis
honour to equal the demonstration which Mr. Dadabhai
Naoro ji received when he cttne to his country to preside
over the Lahore Congress, I have no quarrel whatever
with Mr. Bhownagri. J am very proud to know that
a native of thia country is a Member of the House of
Commons. You cannot expect everybody to be of the
same opinion as yourself. I should have been very pleased
if, instead of being a Conservative, Mr. Bhownagri
had been a Badical. But then I am sure that if he had
been a Radical, he would not have obtained a. seat in the
House of Commons at the last election. So there is,
perhaps, some advantage in his having been a Conserva-
tive. But for any friend of Mr. Bhownagri to consider
that he is the Member for India, or that he possesses the
confidence of the people of India that Mr. Dadahhai
Naoroji possesses, is an absurdity. Very few people
have heard of Mr. Bhownagri outside the Bombay Presi-
dency ; and although we all rejoice that he is in the House
of Commons, and although we all hope that he will be of
service there, we cannot bat hope and trust that we may
find our Dadabhai there before long. Nothing will eon-
WOMBSH CHXJNDEE BOXNERJEE. 79
tent us but to have the old man sitting again in the
House of Commons doing his duty to his constituents,
and doing his work for his country. One reason why he
failed to secure his scat in the House of Commons this
time was that, while he waa discharging his duties night
after night hie opponent, who has now been successful,
was canvassing the constituency, and trying to take
away support from him, and obtain it for himself. T hope
you will carry the resolution with acclamation, and carry
away a hope that Mr. l>adabhai Naoroji will soon obtain
a seat in the House of Commons.
The Sedition Law of Mr. Chalmers, of which
the occasion was Mr. Tilak's conviction, was on
the legislative anvil in 1897, arid the delicate
duty of moving the Congress Resolution on the
subject was entrusted to Mr, Bonnerjee.
Mr. Chalmers, to make his proposed amendment of the
law palatable to uk, says th;it his only object in proposing
the amendments is to assimilate the law of sedition in
this country with the law On the same subject as it exists
in England. Well, 1 have no objection at all to the law
of sedition in this country lieing made the same aw the
law of sedition in England, provided, of course, Mr. Chal-
mers gives us in this country the same machinery for the
administration of the Saw here as exists in England. In
England, as we all know, trials for sedition are held be-
fore a judge, who is a countryman of the prisoner, and
by a jury, who are also countrymen of the prisoner, and
no trial can take place unless a true bill has been found
against the prisoner by a grand jury, who are also conn-
80 WOMEBH CHUNDBR BONNKRJEE.
trymen of the prisoner. Let Mr, Chalmers give us this
mode of trial, and we shall hail him, however severe he
may make the law, as the greatest law-giver that
has ever come to this country. But does he intend
to do so ? No. So far from doing so, he is trying
in his amendments of the Criminal Procedure Code to
empower district magistrates to try eases of sedition —
district magistrates who are officers of ( 1 ovcriiment i n
the strict sense of the term and whose promotion entirety
depends upon the good-will of the Oovernment for the
time being. The present machinery for trial of eases of
sedition in this country is had enough in all conscience.
In the Presidency towns rfueh trials must be had hy
jury. But so far as Her Majesty's British Indian sub-
jects sire concerned, that jury may consist entirely of
Europeans, and not a single one of them need know the
language in which the seditious speech is alleged to
have been made or the seditious article to have been
written. That is appalling enough, but to entrust
trials for .sedition to district magistrates is still more
appalling. I do not think. -I say so with all submission
to Mr, Chalmers, —that his Bill proceeds on the lines
of the English law of sedition at alt. He is entirely
mistaken in thinking it does. But assuming it does, Mr.
Chalmers is prepared to give us the poison in the
shape of his amendment, and not the antidote to the
poison in the shape of the English machinery for its
administration.
Then, in his concluding paragraph, he touched a
deeper chord of feeling than ever he had done
WOMKSII OUUNDEE BONNERJEE. 81
before and assumed ,'i to in- that he had never been
compelled t<i asKmne, betraying that even his calm
hear] and tranquil hea.i't ha.d been sorely agitated.
I should have thought tliiit seeing that the country
has ;jnst been passing through the last of :i very severe
ulflufiou in the shape of famine, that there has been a
1-ecnidesceinie of the plagne in various parts of it, and
that other circumstances, notably the press prosecutions
in the Bombay Presidency, have stirred the mind of
the people to its very depth, this is just the time
where a wine legislator, even if there was necessity for
it, would hesitate long hefon/ embarking on a process of
action which is sure to give rise, as Mr. Chalmers' Bill
lias undoubtedly given rise, to great terror on the part
of the people. Bet we, of course, according to our
rulers. ha,ve no idea nf the proper time and occasion
for changes in the law, Lord Elgin's Government are
all wise, and I am afraid that, notwithstanding our pro-
test, and I make hold to say the protest of every
right-thinking person in the country which will go to
the Government, this Bill will be forced into law. All
the protests will be in vain. We must, however, carry
our protest before a, higher authority than even Lord
Elgin's Government. We must go before the British
public. We must explain to them how the agents they
have sent to govern the country on their behalf and
in their name are dealing with the people; tliHt is, deal-
ing in a manner wholly unworthy of the British name
and the British love of freedom. And if we can con
vinee them that we are right, I have no doubt tliat-
6
82 WOMESH CUUNDEE BONNERJEE,
the British nation will rise in their wrath and free us
from the trammels which Lord El^'hi and his Council-
lors are forging for us.
That was the last time his voice was heard in
the Councils of the Indian National Congress
which he loved so well. From the year 1888 he
took a trip every year to England during the
puja holidays. He had bought a, house of his
own at Croydon which soon became a frequent,
meeting place of all Indians in England. His
children were all educated in England, in fact, he
had so completely Anglicised himself that the one
regret with which his memory is associated in the
mind.s of a. certain section of his couiiti«ymen, is
that his ideals of life should have been cast in a
mould so entirelvalientothem. Even they acknowl-
edge, nevertheless, the depth and sincerity of his.
feelings for all his orthodox relations and the
liberality with which be defrayed the expenses of
their numerous ceremonial observances. It has
even beensaid, witha greitdeal of pi.iKability.t.liut
his spiritual isolation from his own kith and kin
often brought tears to his eyes. To his mother he
cherished to the last the tenderest filial affection,
Notwithstanding these strong ties, Mr. Honnerjee
resolved in 1902 to quit India altogether and tak
WOMESH CinUNDER BONNBRJEE. 83
op liis residence permanently in England. In a
short time lie picked up a considerable Privy
Council practice. The British Committee of the
National Congress occupied a great part of hia
energy and time ; and, as has been more than once
observed, India will never know the exact amount
of her pecuniary indebtedness to him. He sought
a place in Parliament that he might be of greater
use to his country, but, unfortunately, while he
was wooing the electors of Walthamstow, an affec-
tion of the eye developed and brought his general
health low. He recognised the hand of Heath in
this attack and wrote to Mr, Dutt at Baroda that
his illness was incurable and that the end was
near. So it proved. On duly 21, this year, he
passed ;i ivay in peace.
Tt is impossible to close this sketch without
making a quotation from the patriot's last mes-
sage to the Congress which met at Benares last
December. Patience and hope were the theme of
the short letter which each Congressman mid and
re-read as if it were addressed to himself.
It seems to uie that we are passing through oritietl
times in India and that we ought to exert our bent U
make the events that are happening further the cmme of
bur country imd to enable tl:e Congress fully to achieve
he ends for which it was established now 21 years; ngo.
84 WOMESH CHUNDER BOXXERJEE.
Young people are apt to feel disheartened because no
immediate result is visible in any agitation they may
undertake. They forget that existing institutions can-
not be changed without years of patient struggle in
endeavouring to convince those who are guardians of
the institutions that their alteration and reform would
be of benefit to the country. What m have to keep in
mindis that the mere fact that we desire self-governing
institutions for our country is not enough of itself to
justify the grant of such institutions of our riders to
us. We have to show that our progress has been such
that the grant of such institutions would be an ad-
vantage alike to India and to England. We ought to call
to mind that in the early days of what are now
the self-governing colonies they wore move crown
colonies and that they were not invested with the
privileges, duties and responsibilities of self-gover!i-
nient until long afterwards. The early settlers in these
colonies were emigrants from Great Britain and belong-
ed to the same race and had been trained in the same
way as those that remained in the mother country, and
vet self-governing institutions were not conferred on
them immediately they demanded them. They waited
and agitated, agitated and waited, and at. last got what
they wanted. We do not belong to the ruling race and
have never been brought up in the samu way as
they have been. Our ease, therefore, is more difficult
of achievement than that of self-governing colonics, and
we must wait and agitata, agitata and wait longer than
thev were destined to do. With patience, perseverance
and persistence, I am .sure we shall reach the goal of
W0MES1I CHVNEER BONNURJEE. 8:")
our desires iu time and, therefore, we must never lose
heart. Your recent visit to tills country must have
shown you that the people you came across both in
your public meetings and privately are disposed to he
just you, generous -tmvardi our aspirations, til] that
is required is that we must show to them that we are
capable of self-government. The members of the Con-
gress are rijilitlv convinced that we are, and if we keep up
mil 1 agitation and prefer our demands hi season and out of
season, thus showing that we are in earnest about the
mutter. lam sure we shall succeed in convincing the British
public that our desire for solf-g-overniny institutions is
just and legitimate, that we are capable of understand-
ing and working these institutions and that the grant
of them to us woukl be alike beneficial to our country
and to .England, and once convinced of these facts the
Hntisli public, yon may be sure, will not long hesitate to
invest us with these institutions. To convince the .Bri-
tish public that we are in earnest, a constant agitation
of matters Indian ought to be kept up in this country,
for it is the British public who are alone capable of
giving what we want: and to show to them that our
agitation in this country is based upon a solid foundation,
strong agitation on the lines laid down by the Congress
must be kept up in India. The agitation iu India must
be the lever on which the agitation of this country must
be worked. Let nie, therefore, implore you to impress
upon our Congressmen from your Presidential chair the
necessity of maintaining the Congress, of keeping up
the agitation in India on the lines laid down by it, and
of vigorously continuing the agitation in this country.
86 YVOMESH OUUNDKU UOXNKtUKE.
Adorned -with every virtue, public and private,
placed by fortune in towering eminence, and
endowed with the greatest gifts of head anil heart.
Mr. Bonnerjee acted through life on the convic-
tion that all his; virtues, fortune, and gifts found
their noblest use only in the fittitheranee of his
country's interests. He will have lived in v;<in
indeed if, reading of him, the generations that are
to come do not learn to regard their talents and
opportunities as a sacred trust for the honour and
glory of their motherland.- -Vaiide Mataram.
APPRECIATIONS.
APPENDIX- A.
Bonneiiee, Tyabji and Bose*
KV MK. IX E. WACHA.
Mji. CKiiHMAK, - -I think. Kir, that next to yourself (
may claim hi this hall the privilege of having enjoyed the
<>lose friendship of the three true and good men -who have
mi silently passed away leaving the country nil the poorer
for their Ndd lotsst. The hand of the Itenper seemed to
have, been too hnny in depriving u* of these, three distin-
guished countrymen of ours before their time wlwn their
need was t-ho sorest. It was si wwl stroke of fate which
cut them off so early, ere the good n-ovk n'bioh remained
to the lot of eaeh to he achieved wan i'wlljr accomplished,
But our Tvill is not our own. It is the will of Him who
is this giver of ail lite. All that remains to us, therefore,
in to mom-nthUy place on record the sense of that great
loss which we, along with the rest of thy country, have
unstained by their untimely death,
The speakers who have preceded sire have borne most
eloquent testimony, each from his- own point of view, to
the principal incident* of their public lite extending over
more than a ipiarter of a century. There remains for
mc but little to add to that testimony. As far as Hi-.
Anancln >loha.>i .Hose is concerned, my friendship began
with him during the second Congress at Calcutta which,
iSir, wns held under your own distinguwhftd President-
ship in 1 SS HI. But tlie more I came into eon tact with
him. personally and by correspondence, the morn his
personality impressed me. His forensic ability in the
profession he took up was well known. Hut to me he
nftwmed «h if Nature bud made him more to shine in
the pulpit than in the forum. His e.ist of mind wita such.
There was to be perceived in him a, deep sense of religious
fervour which so often found itself reveled when pretioh-
ing in his own eiuireh tire creed of which he was one of
* Speech delivered by Mr. 1). E. Wacha at the Memorial
Meeting held s»t Bombay.
88 MIt, \VACIIA OS JiOiNSElUEE. Tl'AUJI tfc BOSK,.
the strongest pillars. Tn him was to be discerned fill the
gentleness, all the reverential spirit and all that earnest
piety which distinguish the man of (iod. The List time,
i had the privilege of meeting him was in his own house
in Dharamtota in 1901. I can never forget that benign
countenance, that extreme affability, and that polished
courtesy with which, he bade mo good-bye. though even
then he was fur from well. And yet who would not
admire that patriotism and that undying devotion which,
in spite of extreme physieiil debility, impelled him to
render what he. deemed to be his lust duty by his country
and countrymen. What a pathetic figure he made, sis was
bo feelingly described by the leading Bengalee organs of
opinion, when almost in a dying eondition he was earned
in a sedan chair to lay the foundation stone of the Fede-
ration Hall which is destined to consecrate for ever the
spirit of Sw-adeshism and keep its flame steadily burning
among his people! This was Mr. .Vnanda Mohan iiose. it
fine specimen of a highly cultured and* intellectual
Bengalee who had strenuously, unobtrusively and un-
selfishly devoted himself to the service of liis country
almost to the hist hour of his death ! Such a person
deserves to live in the memory of us all.
I need not say that my relations with Messrs.
Badruddij) Tyabji and \\". CI. lionnerjee were ef a.
most intimate character. Indeed, as far as the first
named is concerned, the friendship might be said
to be hereditary. His father and my father were next-
door neighbours, residing in Old Mody Street in the Fort.
Both were merchants and both had great regard lor each
other, as my father more than once used to tell me and
recount some interesting reminiscences of the past. It
was a curious coincidence that the sons became
equally known tn each other. Move. My children in turn
were friends of the late, Mr. and Mrs. Tyabji and their
children. And .1 tor one am glad that this hereditary
friendship with the members of the Tyabji family is
continued from sire to son. so to say. Kuch ample
justice lias been already rendered with n wealth of
details to his public life by the speakers who hare pre-
ceded me that I find myself (juite a bankrupt as to
what I could say more. The only supplemental ohser.
Mn, WACHA ON BONNEIt.NSE, TYABJI <fc DOS*:. Hi)
vation that suggests itself to me is this. Mr. Madrud-
din appeared to have been born a statesman. The more
i knew him and the more 1 lieafd from his lips, many
an observation on the condition of tho country, its
administration, mid the right and proper dutv of oui'-
selves as citizens, the deeper that conviction grew on
me. Had his Kfaniet been oust elsewhere, say. in a
great Native State, Hindu or Muhomedan, I ran per-
fectly certain that Mr. Tyabji would have risen
to fill the highest post. He would have been
another Sir S^far Jung. There were in him all
tile grant qualities which contribute towards the
milking of an eminent statesman — talents of n. high
order, politieal sagacity, tact, judgment, suavity of man-
ners, and, above all. eatholie sympathy. As a Moslem, lie
was devotedly attached to his creed, and thoroughly un-
derstood its cthies with n broad-mindedness and toleranee
whieh deserve the highest praise 1 . Moreover, his early
training and education in England bad had its great for-
mative influence on his character which was all through
discerned in his public life. As a westernised Mahoine-
da,n, he could not sit inactive without reforming bis com-
munity. He rightly conceived that the first and most
important element of social reform among Ids eo-religion-
ists was education. The backwardness of Maliomeda.ns
in this respect he seems to have perceived from an early
day : and he perseveringly endeavoured, and endeavoured
with success, to lay the foundation of educational pro-
gress in liis community. He chalked out the broyd lines
on which it should proceed. He knew well that reform
meant reform first within bis own domestic
circle : and pari passu reform for the community by
slow and casv gradients : in other words, on the lines of
least resistance, Thus it was that he first lighted the
torch of social reform in lis own family and later on
held it aloft, illumining the way for those who had his
force of character and resolution to associate with him
in that noble and most beneficent work. We all know
how his energies and efforts were directed towards the
establishment of the Anjuman-i-lslnni, and how these
weire crowned with success. It will for over stand as
an impen's-hable monument of his great social work.
t)0 MR. 1VACHA OS JJOXXEIUEE, TVAB.1J it BOSE.
Iii the entire community of .YlahoniedaiiN in India, he
was recognised us a towering personality and a power
and influence for good, fint more than a Mahomedan,
lie was proud to cull himself an Indian. His heart beat
in unison with the aims and aspirations of our
national organisation, while his head had clear con-
ceptions of the ultimate triumph of those objects. In his
death, therefore, India loses one other best sons, a pillar
of progress, justice, freedom, toleration and catholic
sympathy. It is to be feared it would be long before, tiie
country discovers another Tyabji.
There remains forme to add a few more words before
I ait down with regard to Mr. W, (.'. Boniierjee. It lias
been said by the great English essayist and politician
that the lineaments of the man are to be discerned in the
child. Mr. Bonnerjee was not a, child in 1867. He was
twenty-three years old, finishing his law course in London
to qualify himself for the Bar. Hut at that very young
age he showed those lineaments which as he grew old
made him so regarded and esteemed not by his own men
of (ion gal but by his countrymen throughout the land.
I'ei'lmjjs some of you are aware of that most excellent
paper he read on Hindu Law in London before the
London Society, and another, later on. at the East
India Association. The subject of the paper read
before the letter was no other than the one about which
so much is being said and written at the present day,
namely; " I?epre.sontative and responsible Government
for India." To have read that most thoughtful, well-
informed, and highly interesting paper at the '■go of ii-'S
showed what remarkable talents Mr. Bonnerjee possessed.
It would be out of place to refer to its salient points
here, bu f , Mr, Chairman, yon at least were present
there, along with Mr. Dadabliai Naoroji. and could there-
fore speak from your personal uxporienoe as to the
quniitv of that paper and the impression it produced on
the hearers. Among them, there was that distinguished
lawyer of Bombay, no other than the late Mr.
Chishohn Austey, a name still to he conjured and
regard "ri with the highest respect. Home very inde-
pendent and refreshing observations which fell frdm
the lips of that constitutional and learned lawyer
MR. WACHA ON BOXNERJEE, Ti'ABJI it BOSE. 91
deserve to be reproduced here, and I crave the indul-
gence of the meeting for a minute to refer to them.
Mr. Anstey said : " 1 can safely say that Mr. Uon-
nerjee's paper, which contains so much that is novo)
and interesting and in which he has treated his sub-
ject in so fair and liberal a spirit, and with so much
ability would, if adopted, go very far to a complete
realisation of the view. I always have advocated
in the matter * * What Ml'. Bonnerjee has presented
is this groat truth, that when you seek to introduce
this species of representation into India, you are not
introducing it new thing, but only a new form of that
which already exists there, which has existed therefor
thousands of years, and which cannot be rooted up
out of the minds and hearts of the people, unless you
exterminate the people itself. We are apt to forget
in this country, when we talk of preparing people in
the Enst by education and all that sort of thing for
Municipal Covernment and Parliamentary Government
that the Mast is the parent of municipalities * *
Let us not be frightened by that bugbear incapacity;
there is no nation uuht for free institutions. If von
wait for absolute perfection, the world will eome to
an end before yon have established your free institu-
tions." Mr. Bonnerjee's profession, no doubt, kept him
confined to it. but it did not signify that he had allowed
politics to slide. The Congress, which took its birth
in this citv twenty-one years ago, revealed what kind
of personage he was as its very first President.
The rest is history and I will not travel over the
same ground which Sir Bhalchimdra and others have
travelled. Having been closely allied -with him since
188o. lean say with perfect confidence that there .is not
a loader of the Congress who has known the true political
bearings of the country so well and thoroughly, and who
has understood them so clearly. Whenever ho has spoken
with such profound knowledge and prescience as to make
us exclaim why Mr. Bonnerjee would not speak oftener
and enlighten his less fortunate brethren. But the traits
.above all others which characterised him were his
shrewd commonseiiso, his penetrating judgment, his
extreme wodestv, his unolitrusiveness, a remarkable
92 MR. WAC'HA ON BOSSEBJBE, TYAB.H it HOSE.
presence and coolness of mind which tolls us of the
great steersman at the bark who can weather the storm
and hurricane, find bring it to a haven of rest and safety.
Had be entered Parliament lie would have made bis
nuvt-1; in that . deliberative assembly and proved what
splendid materials he, had in him of a far-sighted and
most discreet statesman. And n.s to his personal quali-
ties, von had only to come into intimate contact with
him to know what a personification of amiability,
courtesy, and gentiemanline-ss he was. And how
under a somewhat passive exterior there throbbed within
a warm heart —a heart which burned with a steady flume
for the greater good of the country, but in harmony with
existing facta and eireumstane.es. His also was the
policy of proceeding on the lines of least resistance.
Again, he. too wus a social reformer, but the reform was
con fined to his own household which to him was a. thing
of joy and beauty, seeing that he was surrounded b)
children whom he had brought up and trained after his
own ideal. But alas ! he too lias gone to his last resting
place, leaving behind him good, silent and patriotic w*rk
which shall scatter its fragrance all over the country for
many a, year to come. Not only Bengal but all India
is poorer for his loss which it will be most difficult
to fill.
In conclusion, I can only sa.y that in the deaths of
the three eminent Indians we have lost u. veritable tri-
nity of groat- souls, lofty sentiments, disinterested pa-
triotism, and deep sympathy. Pure in faith, winning-
ly sweet in courtesy, nobie and kind, they have gone
to their hist resting place greatly loved and honoured
by a whole nation. They knew naught but that an-
cient maxim which prescribes that the noblest, motive
is public good. They never cared for journalistic
trumpets and rolls of newspaper drums. Indeed, 1 do
,not think I am using the language of exaggeration
when I say that they belonged to that class of men
who arc greater than those who only scemoth great.
' ; There they rest from their toil
In meadows immortally fair,
And the Master of all brave souls
Crowns them with fadeless leaves."
Mr Gokhale on Mr. Bonnerjee-
ill', Chairman, Ladies and (.lentleuien,™We are as-
sembled bere to-day to give public expression to out 1
grief that the hand of l)eath has removed from our
midst our illustrious countryman,- -Mr. Womosh Chandra
Bonnerjee. The event, it is true, has Hot come upon
us a.s wholly unexpected. For some time past it was
well known that Mr. f Jonnerjoe's health has been com-
pletely shattered, that thorn was no hope of recovery,
and that continued existence In that state wis to him
only ii prolongation of agony. However, now that the
end has actually come, and we are forced to realise
that our great and trusted leader, whom it was a joy
to love no less than to follow, is no more with us, the
mind feels as completely bewildered and overwhelmed
as though the great Destroyer had come with stealthy
and noiseless steps and had inflicted on us our loss
without warning, and with the shook of a sudden blow.
Ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Bonnerjee was a man
whose death would leave humanity the poorer in any
age and in any part of the w'OiV To India, in her
present stage of transition, witli difficult and complica-
ted problems arising on all sides, his passing away is a
national calamity of the iirst magnitude, and we indulge
in no exaggeration ivliim wo s ay that our loss is truly
irreparable. It is not my purpose to-day to attempt
here an estimate of the character and career of our
great eoimtryinati. Our loss is still too fresh and our
souse of it too acute and poignant to permit of my
undertaking any such task in a meeting of this kind.
And all I beg leave to do in commending this resolu-
tion to your acceptance is to say a few words expires-
* Speech delivered by Mr. Cokhale at a Memorial
Meeting held in London for expressing sorrow at the
death of Mr. VV. C. Bomierjee.
D4 Mlt. WOKHAbE OX MR, BONNERJEE.
sive of my profound admiration of the many noble
qualities, both natural and inquired, of our departed
leader, and of my humble appreciation of the great, the
signal services whieh he has rendered to our national
cause. Ladies and gentlemen, wc all know that Mr.
Bonnerjec was one of the most distinguished, as he
was one of the most successful, lawyers that our countrv
has produced. Now. if he hud been only that and
nothing else, even then his title to a public expression
of our admiration and respect would have been unques-
tioned. National life, to be complete, must be many-
sided ; and a man who brings honour to the Indian name,
no matter in what field, advances thereby our national
cause and deserves to be honoured by us on national
grounds. But Mr. lionnerjee's claim to our admiration
and gratitude rested, of course, on a much wider basis
than his pre-eminent attainment as a lawyer. He was.
in addition, an ardent patriot, a wise and far-sighted
leader, an incessant worker 1 , a man whose nobility of
mind and greatness of soul were stamped on every
utterance and every action of his life. Ills intellectual
gifts were of the very highest order. Endowed with an
intellect at onee critical, vigorous, and eomprehensh e. a.
truly marvellous memory, luminous powers of exposition,
captivating olorjuenee, great industry, and a, wonderful
habit of method and discipline, Mr. Boimerjee was
bound to achieve, in whatever field he chose to work, the
moat brilliant success. Then he had a wide outlook on
life, deep and earnest feeling and a passionate desire to
devote his great gifts to the service of his country. And
added to these were, a iinc presence, an extraordinary
charm of manner, and that combination of strength and
restraint whieh made him one of the most manly men
that one could come across, Such a man must tower
above his fellow-men wherever he is placed. In a self-
governing country he would, without doubt, have at-
tained the position of Prime Minister. We in Indis
twice made him President of our National Congress, and
what was more, when the great movement was started
twenty-one years ago and the first Congress ever held
in India assembled in Bombay, the delegates unanimonsly
eleeted Mr. Bonnerjee to guide them in their delibera-
Wit, OK HALE ON MJl, BOSNERJTBB. 95
tjons. And sinee that time down to the moment of hi*
death. Mr, Bonnerjcu. with two or throe other*, was the
very life and soul of that movement. Be ungrudgingly
gare to the oause hi« time Mid his resources -and this
far more than is generally known. He cheerfully bore
all its anxieties, ids exertions for its'sueeess "Were mi'
wearied; and no man's counsel was v&hied higher by
his countrymen, whore- the ( Viugresn was concerned.
Ufa couviigc was upleiidid, unrt it rose with difficult-it'*,
and his nerve and -his clear judgment were, a theme
of constant admiration among h« etmntrywcu, With
Mr. Bosjuerjee (it the holm, everyone felt tmlc. Hi»
was the eloqoeBee that thrill* and stirs and inspires,
but ])in wns also the practical sagacity thai .sees the
difference between what may be »ttuini>d and what
cannotj and when the need arose no man wfts tirmev
thai) Mr. Bonnerjee, in exercising a sobering and res-
training influence, 1 Ciin recall 'it this moment mory
than one infesting of the Nub)eets Committee of the
Congress, at which really id) important (ltd be rations
take pla,ee. where Mr, Uomierjee's far-sighted wisdom
and the #ro,at wtjij^Ht attaching to his personality
steadied the judgments of wilder spjrita. and eattilv
liahed Iwmony where, discord w*s apprehended. The
toss of suob a leader. no ivowlx that j can employ ctoi
adequately describe, and he Ims passed away at a time
vvhesi bo wus more indispensable, than ever, hi view of
the signs one sees of the vessel of the Congress being
about to encounter somewhat rough weather, Ladle*
and geiitleini.'ii. it is really superfluous that J should
dwell at mis length before mi nsKewibJy composed ho
largely of my own countrymen on tins diKtinguisbed
aervioes rendored by Mr. Bormerjee to our national
cause. And, if I refer briefly to one, or two of them,
it is beomise they we not very widely known, and
they itUiKtrttte h«w immense is the debt that we owe
him. You are aware that no Englishman has tver
served India more nobly or more geuJoualy thswi the
late Mr, Bradkugb- Now. it was Mr. Bou»er}e« who
enlisted Mr, BradlaugVss aymjjathies on our side and
secured his powerful championship for our (wpiva-
tioiw. Then the part Mr. Bonnwjoo l\w played in
96 MB, GOKFTAhli OS MS. KOXXERJiSE.
keeping together iill these jenn the British Committee
of the Congress and in maintaining unimpaired its
activity in this country, will always oonstitute one of
his bent claims to our affection and gratitude. Very
few. indeed, of our countrymen have, any idea of the
difficulties that have liad to be overcome from time to
time in this connection, of the worries they have, in-
volved, and of the sacrifices they have required. Hut,
if our great Friends. (Sir William Wedderburn and MY.
Hume ii;id been here to-day. they would have told you.
:is. indeed, our venerable chairman may, if he speaks
a tew words at the end, how invaluable have been Mr.
Bonnerjee's co-operation and assistance in this matter.
Ladies and gentlemen. I do not wish to detain vol-
longer. Many of us lose in Mr. Bounerjee not only l
great leader, but also a wnnu generous friend. Who
that has ever enjoyed the hospitality of his beautiful
home at Croydon now. alas, plunged into the depths
of grief will forget, the singular charm of his perso-
nality, the charity of his judgments, his touchirg de-
votion to those around him. or the kindness he loved
to lavish on all whom he admitted to the privilege of
his friendship! And, speidting in this connection,
mav 1 say how our hearts go out to-day to the be-
reaved family, whose loss is beyond words, and especi-
allv to that stricken lady whose life has now been
rendered desolate and to whom the world will ne\cY
be the same again I One word more and I have done.
Mr. Bonnerjee has now crossed the line which there is
no reerossiug. But he is not altogether gone from us.
lie has left us the precious inheritance of a noble, exam-
ple. He has left us his name to honour, his memory to
cherish. Above all. he has left us the cause — the cause he
loved so dearly and Nerved so well. Our very sorrow to-day
speaks to us of our duty to t,hat cause and no tribute
that we can offer to the memory of the departed will
be more truly fitting than a resolve to recognise and
an endeavour to discharge this duty according to the
measure of our capacity and the requirements of our
country.
Live Music
Archive
Librivox
Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland
Museum of Art
Internet
Arcade
Console Living Room
Open Library
American
Libraries
TV News
Understanding
9/11